NEW DELHI: The information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj has called upon the media to introspect and contribute to make India a strong and a vibrant democratic India to take its due place in the comity of nations.

Delivering her address at a function to mark National Press Day, here on Friday, Swaraj regretted that in today's media scenario, which has undergone a sea change after the technology explosion, sensational news has edged out developmental and positive news. In a race for being the first and most sensational, positive aspects of news items are being sacrificed, she said. Sensation may be a good saleable commodity commercially, but it is not in the overall interests of the country, she added.

The eminent jurist and MP, FS Nariman, who delivered the keynote address on 'Future of India: Role of Media' said that the media must be sensitive to the people's problems and should lean on the side of the weak and the oppressed. It must be responsible to the Constitution and the country and not to the government, the business houses or the politicians. A free and robust press is a must for the successful functioning of our democratic system, Nariman said. 

The chairman of the Press Council of India, Justice Jaichandra Reddy, said that the spirit of the freedom struggle have to be revived and media must re-dedicate itself to the good old values of the profession of journalism. Small and medium newspapers, which have more and better access to rural and far-flung areas, have a greater role in awakening the people, he said. 

Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi presided over the function.