Media's natural role is to create discourse by discussing issues: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the media's natural role is to create discourse by discussing serious issues as he inaugurated the Indian Newspaper Society's secretariat, INS Towers, in Mumbai.

He said the role of newspapers is crucial in the journey to Viksit Bharat in the next 25 years and appealed to Indian publications to enhance their global presence.

Modi expressed confidence that India will soon become the third-largest economy and spoke about how the nation has become the leader in digital payments.

"Media makes people aware of their strength. Media's natural role is to create discourse by discussing serious issues," Modi said.

The role of newspapers is very important in the journey to Viksit Bharat in the next 25 years. The citizens of a country who gain confidence in their capabilities start achieving new heights of success. The same is happening in India today, Modi said while addressing the gathering at Bandra Kurla Complex.

He said the INS has not only witnessed the ups and downs of India's journey but also lived it and communicated it to the people.

A country's global image directly affects its economy. Indian publications should enhance their global presence, the prime minister said.

He said the media is not a mute spectator of the condition of the nations but it plays a major role in changing them.

Underlining the role of newspapers and magazines in the next 25-year journey to Viksit Bharat, Modi highlighted the media's role in creating awareness about rights and the potential of the citizenry.

Modi also spoke on how India has become the leader in digital payments.

"There was a time when some politicians used to say that digital transactions were not for India. They had a preconceived notion that modern technology can't work in this country," he said.

Modi said the world is witnessing the capabilities of Indians and today, the country is creating new records in digital transactions.

"Due to India's UPI and modern digital public infrastructure, the ease of living of people has improved, and it has become easier for them to send money across countries," Modi said.

The country will benefit from the effective work done by the Indian Newspaper Society, he added.

Media makes people aware of their strength, Modi said, adding that the media's natural role is to create discourse by discussing serious issues even as he emphasised the impact of government policies on the functioning of the media.

The PM said before 2014, most people were unaware of the word startup, but the media made it reach every home.

Citing the success of digital transactions in India as an example of how confident citizens achieve great success, Modi said, "Major nations are interested in India's digital public infrastructure".

The Prime Minister stated the example of financial inclusion and opening of bank accounts through the movement of Jan Dhan Yojna and the integration of about 50 crore people with the banking system.

"This project was the biggest help in Digital India and initiatives to curb corruption," he said.

Modi lauded the media for making movements like Swachh Bharat or Startup India a part of national discourse, saying these initiatives were not impacted by vote bank politics.

He said the decisions made by the Indian Newspaper Society gave direction to the country's media and pointed out that any event kicked off by the government may not necessarily be a government event and any idea emphasised may not only belong to the government.

Modi underlined the important role of media in heightening the sense of duty and awareness of the citizens towards the Constitution considering the 75th-year celebrations of the Constitution of India.