Telangana State Media Academy Chairman K. Srinivas Reddy on Friday clarified that the newly issued government order (GO) on accreditation would not cause any harm to professional journalists, asserting that it was framed with inclusivity and fairness.

In a statement, Srinivas Reddy said that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Information Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy are committed to implementing journalist welfare measures without any discrimination, and are keen on strengthening benefits for media professionals.

He recalled that the Telangana High Court had struck down the previous government’s accreditation guidelines due to discrimination against Urdu journalists and neglect of small newspapers. “All those shortcomings have been rectified in the new GO”, he noted.

Refuting claims that welfare measures were limited only to reporters, the Chairman said such allegations were 'false and misleading'. “The welfare provisions apply to all professional journalists, not just reporters”, he clarified.

Srinivas Reddy expressed regret that certain groups were 'deliberately spreading misinformation' and attempting to politicise the issue by calling for agitations. In fact, the present government would always remain accessible and open to discussions with journalists on welfare-related concerns, he added.

Appealing to working journalists, he urged them not to fall prey to malicious propaganda, assuring that the people’s government under Revanth Reddy’s leadership would address media issues with a positive and transparent approach, unlike the previous regime.