Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the media was responsible for upholding the right to freedom of speech and stressed the self - regulation by the Fourth Estate.
"The press is responsible for upholding free speech, " Modi said while speaking at a commemoration event of the National Press Day at the Vigyan Bhavan here.
Quoting Mahatma Gandhi on the need to self - regulate, Modi said: "The government should not interferance in the working of the media. "
The Prime Minister said external control does not help in upholding the freedom of expression.
"Internal discipline in the media is more important than any external intervention, " Modi said.
He also recalled the Press Council of India's role during the Emergency and said: "We remember how the Press Council ceased to exist during the Emergency.
And the things for the media normalised after Morarji Bhai (Morarji Desai) became the Prime Minister. "
The Prime Minister said it is the media's responsibility to make appropriate changes with time as many newspapers have shifted to digital mediums.
Citing the importance of self - regulation in the media, Modi said: "After the Kandahar plane hijack (in 1999) and the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks (in 2008), we witnessed examples of media's self - regulation. "
Referring to recent killings of media persons, Modi said: "Any death is worrisome, but journalists losing their lives just because they are highlighting the truth becomes even more serious. "
He termed the attack on media as the most cruel act.