Media's role is to bring to fore govt shortcomings, also highlight positive news: PM Modi

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the role of media is to bring to fore shortcomings in society and government and also highlight positive news.

"The role of media is to educate people. If there are some shortcomings in society and government, then the role of media is to bring them to the fore. As much as the media has the right to criticize, it has the same responsibility to bring positive news to the fore," he said. The Prime Minister said that the way journalists worked like a karma yogi in the interest of the nation during the Corona period in the last two years, they will be remembered forever. "The positive contribution of India's media helped India a lot in dealing with the biggest crisis in 100 years."

Addressing Dwishatabdi Mahotsav of Mumbai Samachar here today, the Prime Minister said that conducting healthy discussions is part of Indian tradition.
"I congratulate them on completing 200 glorious years. Regional newspapers played an important role in the independence struggle. The Parsi community played a big role in national development," he said.
The Prime Minister further said, "For thousands of years, we have made healthy debate, healthy criticism, and right reasoning a part of the social system. Conducting healthy discussions is part of our tradition."

He said that Mumbai Samachar gave voice to the freedom movement. "Under the influence of foreigners, when this city became Bombay, even then this newspaper did not leave its local connect, did not break its connection with its roots. It was a normal Mumbaikar's newspaper even then and it is the same today-- Mumbai Samachar," he said.
"Mumbai Samachar is not just a news medium, but a heritage. Mumbai Samachar is the philosophy of India, the expression of India. How India has stood firm despite every storm, we get glimpses of that in Mumbai Samachar too," he added.

Praising Mumbai Samachar, PM Modi said that the newspaper expanded vernacular journalism during the British era.
"When Mumbai Samachar started, the darkness of slavery was getting dense. It was not so easy to get a newspaper in an Indian language like Gujarati in such a period. Mumbai Samachar expanded vernacular journalism in that era," he said.
Earlier today Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered prayers at Sant Tukaram temple in Pune and inaugurated a Shila temple in Pune today. (ANI)