'Print media has lost credibility'

Chennai: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President M Karunanidhi on Thursday regretted that like politics print media has also lost credibility in Tamil Nadu.

Launching "Tamizh Osai" (Voice of Tamils), a new Tamil daily backed by the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) in Chennai, he said gone were the days when print media enjoyed a lot of credibility.

He said "Tamizh Osai" should not be just a piece of paper, but a powerful sword, and transform the lives of Tamils. It should also play an important role in bringing about a change of government after the May eight assembly poll.

The daily should support Tamils and ensure a new dawn for them, Karunanidhi, himself a journalist, said adding, he never stopped writing, ever since he took to it for party organ "Murasoli" in 1942.

"If I don't write even for a day, I consider the day as a waste," he said.

Regretting that there has been a constant deterioration in political culture, the DMK leader said to prevent further deterioration, a change of government was a must.

"All of you should take a pledge to work towards achieving the task as we alone could not bring about the change," he said pointing to leaders of the DMK allies who were on the dais.

Speaking on the occasion, PMK founder leader S Ramadoss said the daily has been launched not with an intention to compete with other newspapers, but with the objective of raising the standard of living of Tamils and development of Tamil language.

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss also spoke on the occasion.

The launch of "Tamizh Osai", marked the entry of another daily into a highly competitive market.

Karunanidhi released the daily and Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) President K Veeramani received the first copy.