Sawant flags unregistered ‘journalists’, backs GUJ list ahead of 2027 polls

Panaji: Chief minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday called for steps to regulate unregistered media personnel in Goa, warning that fly-by-night operators could create confusion and disruption during the 2027 assembly elections.

“As elections near, people mushrooming with cell phones pose a risk of undermining the profession,” Sawant said at the Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ) awards ceremony for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Sawant backed GUJ’s move to compile a list of registered media organisations in the state. “I see some showing up as reporters only during elections, for two months or so, and then they go back to doing some other job,” he said.

The CM said once GUJ finalises the recognised media list, state govt will use it to release govt advertisements and publicity material, and to issue invitations to official functions and other engagements. He also appealed to MLAs to follow the same approach.

At the awards, The Times of India, Goa, won 15 awards across categories, including reporting, page design, photojournalism, and sports. Gauree Malkarnekar (art & culture, environment, rural reporting) and Newton Sequeira (investigative journalism, environment) won three awards each. Rakesh Mundye won four individual awards, including environmental photography, excellence in photojournalism, and page design, while Sharmila Coutinho won two awards for excellence in layout and page design. Marcus Mergulhao won in sports, and art and culture. TOI’s Bicholim correspondent Rajesh Chodankar was felicitated for mofussil journalism.

The event, organised by GUJ with the department of information and publicity, was held at the Institute Menezes Braganza Conference Hall in Panaji. Calangute MLA Michael Lobo, the guest of honour, also flagged concerns about people using mobile cameras while posing as reporters, alleging some engage in intimidation and extortion.