Naidu asks I&B secretary to look into issues facing print media

Taking note of the concerns expressed by sections of the print media, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday asked department secretary Ajay Mittal to examine various issues facing the sector. According to an official release here, Naidu has taken note of the concerns expressed by the newspaper industry.

"The minister is apprised of the matter and has asked the Secretary I&B to look into the issues in the wake of implementation of latest Wage Board Recommendations and the proposed GST regime," the statement said.

If required, necessary consultations with the stakeholder ministries will also be initiated to address the issues, it added.

"The minister will also meet the representatives of the industry to have detailed discussions," the statement said.

There have been reports about difficult times being faced by the print industry with profits shrinking.

The ministry's statement comes days ahead of the presentation of the Union Budget.

Print media is the only sector where a government formed Wage Board fixes the wages of private organisations. However, in 2002 the National Commission on Labour clarified that the board is not needed in any case. Moreover, in 2013, the previous government accepted the latest recommandations and asked all the print organisations to raise salaries from 45 -50 per cent of both journalists and non-journalist staff.

Demonetisation has also wreaked havoc on the print media. The problem has been compounded by the squeezing spends by the advertisers.