HYDERABAD, MARCH 26: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has expressed opposition to the entry of foreign print media into the country.
Addressing a meeting of the Indian Newspapers Society (INS) here on Saturday, the Chief Minister assured that he would extend "complete cooperation and support in preventing the foreign print media coming into country".
Naidu also urged the print media to give more coverage for developmental issues and welfare programmes to enable the benefits reach the needy.
"Unfortunately, the newspapers have been giving a kind of step-motherly treatment and downplaying developmental news and welfare activities taken up by the government. On the other hand, sensationalism, crime news and negative reporting is finding prominence in the press," he observed.
The Chief Minister said that media was helping governments, worldwide, by pointing out lapses in implementation of various programmes. "Such reporting will immensely help the governments in correcting the mistakes," he added.
INS president Shobha Subramanian and treasurer Vishwabandhu Gupta, Eenadu group chairman C H Ramoji Rao and representatives of various newspapers attended the meeting.
Dwelling at length on the various developmental programmes being undertaken by his government in the last five years, the Chief Minister said that the Telugu Desam Party returned to power as the people endorsed his policies and the performance of his government.
Stating that Information Technology was the best tool for developing the life of the common man, he said that the Andhra Pradesh government had implementing these kind of reforms with a human face.
Naidu said that the print media has a pivotal role to play in the progress of the country and also in the current crucial phase of economic transformation.