At the 85th annual general meeting of the Indian Newspaper Society, an apex body of publishers of newspapers, magazines and periodicals, held on Friday, MV Shreyams Kumar was elected president for 2024-25.
Kumar, who is a Rajya Sabha MP and managing director of Mathrubhumi newspaper, will be succeeding Rakesh Sharma, who works with Aaj Samaj, and presided over the body in 2023-24.
At the virtual event, Sharma said, “Today, we stand at the intersection of tradition and transformation. The rapid growth of technology, social media, and digital platforms have drastically changed how news is delivered and consumed. For us, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities. Hence, I request all the publishers to be agile, innovative, and vigilant in their strategic approaches.”
Sharma went on to say that in times of widespread misinformation and fake news, committing to truth becomes even more vital. “Newspapers offer a unique and tangible connection that has stood the test of time. It provides depth, credibility, and a sense of tradition. We must continue to invest in quality print journalism to keep it a vital part of our media landscape,” he said.
Outlining the previous years’ activities, Sharma said the body had been “actively engaging with the government to seek the withdrawal of the 5% customs duty on newsprint.” At the same time, he also emphasised the need to defend press freedom. Sharma added, “We must stand united in protecting the independence of the press, resisting any attempts to restrict our freedom to report, express opinions, and investigate matters of public interest.”
The society also lodged a complaint with the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against Google, alleging that it is abusing its dominant position in the Indian online news media market.
Vivek Gupta of Sanmarg was elected the deputy president, Karan Rajendra Darda of Lokmat became vice-president, Tanmay Maheshwari of Amar Ujala was made the honourary treasurer and Mary Paul the secretary general for 2024-25.
New members of the executive committee include S Balasubramanian Adityan of Daily Thanthi, Girish Agarwal of Dainik Bhaskar Bhopal, Samahit Bal of Pragativadi, Viveck Goenka of The Indian Express, Mumbai, and Vijay Kumar Chopra of Punjab Kesari, Jalandhar.