Kolkata Press Club president Sudipta Sengupta said "I also teach journalism and my students say that ethics are rubbish since one has to ultimately do what the editor says." iMediaEthics Photo Illustration depicts a vintage classroom with blackboard text added by us. (Credit: Don O'Brien via Flickr)

You have “to be impolite to coax information out of his sources,” Kolkata Press Club general secretary Anindya Sengupta said at a Feb. 16 media ethics event.

The event, “State of Media in Pakistan and India: Ethics and Standards,” was held at the Karachi Press Club, according to Pakistani news site Dawn.om.

Zee Akash News journalist Anjan Bandyopadhyay called for more and better training. Bandyopadhyay is quoted as saying:

“You cannot put the onus completely on a reporter for lack of ethics. He does not have the educational background nor has he been provided the required training. We have to ask the owners or the final bosses who have to ensure ethical standards and tell the reporter to carry on with his job.”

Kolkata Press Club president Sudipta Sengupta argued that students seem disheartened by the concept of ethics. “I also teach journalism and my students say that ethics are rubbish since one has to ultimately do what the editor says,” Sengupta said, according to Dawn.com.

We have asked for further comment from the India Press Club and the Karachi Press Club about the event and will update with a response.