Be objective in reporting India, PM tells media

NEW DELHI - Stating that facts were sacred and should not be distorted, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked the media Wednesday to be objective in reporting on the country’s affairs.

Answering a question on whether the current atmosphere would be a dampener for investors, he admitted that this sort of atmosphere “saps our self confidence” and spoils the country’s image.

Urging the media to be objective, he said: “While opinions are a matter of speculation, facts are sacred.” Facts, he stressed, should not be distorted.

“We owe it to our country”, the prime minister told a group of TV editors, “to be as objective as possible” in reporting on the country’s affairs.