Answering why he does not hold press conferences and gives out fewer interviews now as compared to the time when he was the Gujarat chief minister, PM Modi said media has been used in a certain way, and that he did not want to go down that path.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally answered the most-asked question of why does he not hold press conferences, saying that the media today is not what it used to be. PM Modi is often at the receiving end of attacks by the Opposition over him not hold press conferences, something that he last took part in only once, in 2019, in which he did not answer any questions.
Answering why he does not hold press conferences and gives out fewer interviews now as compared to the time when he was the Gujarat chief minister, PM Modi said media has been used in a certain way, and that he did not want to go down that path.
PM Modi, in an interview with India Today, said he has never refused to do interviews and pointed to a "change" in the role of the media as well as the availability of multiple avenues of communication to reach out to the public.
PM Modi said that the media today was not what it used to be.
"I have to work hard. I want to go to poor people's homes. I can also cut ribbons and get my photo taken in Vigyan Bhawan. I don't do that. I go to a small district of Jharkhand and work towards a small scheme," PM Modi said.
PM Modi said he brought a new work culture, adding that if the culture feels right, then the media should present it correctly. "If not, then they shouldn't," he said.
PM Modi further said that the media was no longer a separate entity today. PM Modi said that the anchors have made their views known to people.
PM Modi added that earlier media were the only source of communication, but now new mediums are available. “Today, if you want to talk to the public, communication is two-way. Today, the public can also make their voice known without the media. Even a person who has to answer can express his views well without the media,” PM Modi told India Today.