Knowledge is the future and journalists perform the important task of disseminating it, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said here on Friday.
Speaking at an award function organized by the Mumbai Patrakar Parishad, he also noted that there are still some journalists who present the truth fearlessly without thinking about how people would react.
To convey information about good developments in society and good work done by any person is a very important job and journalists perform this task, the senior BJP leader said.
"Knowledge is the future..... If conversion of knowledge into wealth is our future, knowledge must be taken to the people and journalists do this job very well," he said.
There are some journalists for whom their job is a mission, Gadkari further said.
"Many dangers have to be faced while doing journalism today....One has to pay the price for writing the truth. Because people do not love the truth. But there are many journalists who do not care about reaction but think that they must present the truth," the Union minister said.
Maharashtra has a long tradition of such journalists, he added.
Well-known ophthalmologist and former J J Hospital Dean Dr T P Lahane and journalist-turned- artist Prakash Joshi were among the award winners at the function.