KCR in an all out bid to woo journalists?

 KCR in an all out bid to woo journalists?
KCR in an all out bid to woo journalists?
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Nitin B | The News Minute | February 22, 2015 | 5:15 pm ISTA day after journalists protested the Telangana government’s move to restrict media entry to the secretariat, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar appears to be going all out to woo journalists with sops.KCR convened a meeting with journalists and their respective unions, and at the end of the four-hour long discussion, several welfare measures had been thrashed out.These include the construction of a Journalists’ Bhavan, raising the corpus of the Journalists’ Welfare fund from Rs 10 crore to Rs 100 crore, constituting a nine-member committee to issue health cards to journalists, and even housing sites.KCR said he would ensure that the corpus fund grows into Rs 100 crore in a phased manner: “The government will collect a small portion of ad revenues of government and private ads in media and add it to the corpus fund.”Although these measures were announced a day after journalists protested the proposed restrictions in accessing the secretariat, the main issue itself was not addressed. Instead, the chief minister postponed the discussion to the next meeting.Calculated move by KCR?Why then, is Rao so keen on pacifying journalists? He has much as stake and each factor appears to have been weighed in to ensure that he gets back in the media's good graces. After making threats of burying the media alive' and banning two Telugu news channels TV9 and ABN Andhra Jyothy for a satirical show mocking KCR and his ministers, Rao knows that he does not have a very good image in the media He may have also lost a few friends due to this statement as many local media houses that were pro-KCR are now waiting for him to falter and are scrutinizing his every move.Sensing that things may go downhill for him if the situation was allowed to escalate, KCR convened the meeting and addressed various issues that the journalists were facing - which despite noble intentions still had some positive result for himself.KCR, with this move, is seemingly also trying to improve his image before the GHMC elections and also with the national media which saw a slight shift in balance after the TRS-BJP alliance speculation.Read - TRS-BJP alliance: What all parties are saying 'on' and 'off' recordWhat about the journalists?While KCR may appear over enthusiastic to pacify journalists, the latter too, do not seem averse to the chief minister's overtures. Many journalists are likely to be queuing up to avail the various benefits and do not seem to mind that a part of the ad revenue is utilized from the media managements for their welfare.Overall, the outcry by the journalists followed by a hasty meeting has brought things back to square one and restored the balance between the state and the press, until the next disagreement occurs.TweetFollow @thenewsminute

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