Media should correct aberrations: PM

Some aberrations have crept into journalism in India and the media should itself find ways to remove them, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Wednesday.

"Vibrant and fiercely independent media in our country is an asset for all of us. It has served us well in disseminating information, educating the public and keeping a critical eye on the work of the government," he said at a function to mark 125 years of the Malayala Manorama group.

Manmohan Singh said that while the media had evolved and grown in size, some "aberrations" have crept in.

"But the good thing is that these aberrations are also being discussed and debated. It is for media itself to find ways and means of removing the deficiencies which it suffers from," he added.

He said the Malayala Manorama group was a shining example of good journalism which had informed, educated and entertained millions.

The prime minister said it would not be wrong to say that the Malayala Manorama group was born of idealism.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony said the media has aided the demand for transparency by vehemently demanding answers on behalf of citizens.

"There is a need and urgency that this revolution (demand for transparency) percolates all institutions in the country," Antony said.

Malayala Manorama chief editor Mammen Mathew said the group was established in the pre-independence era when it espoused social justice and nationalist causes.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said that while it was distressing to see that many newspapers were shutting down globally, the good news was that India seemed to have bucked this trend.

He said publications like Malayala Manorama followed the highest principles of journalism.