Prime Minister's sweeping comment on media

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused the print and electronic media of disseminating news based on a mixture of truth and falsehood. Coming as it does from the head of government, this sweeping statement, we feel is unfortunate and not acceptable to citizens and the media.
So far as this newspaper is concerned, it has always been the policy to follow journalistic standards and professionalism while presenting facts to our readers. When, of course, individuals and organisations feel aggrieved by certain reports and send off clarifications or rejoinders to published items, we ensure that such clarifications or rejoinders are placed in the exact spots where the original reports had been published. Despite the government's huge machinery for dissemination of information, the gap between the government and the media exists because the media does not have ready access to information it requires.
Besides, the websites the ministries maintain are not updated and cannot cater to the day-to-day demand from the media.
We feel that if the prime minister or any other government functionary has any grievance against the media, a way out would be for the government to ensure a smooth working of the laws related to right to information. Unfortunately, here too journalists have been constrained to wait for inordinately long periods before coming by information they are often in urgent and serious need of.
We do not claim that media is infallible. We too make mistakes, but we make it a point to check and double check facts before serving them to our readers. But when mistakes are detected, we take swift measures to correct our information and inform readers accordingly.
The media remain aware of a basic truth, that unless it publishes or projects credible news and views its acceptability among readers will diminish, which no media can afford to happen.
Finally, may we remind everyone that the media are answerable to readers and the people, and not to the government of the day, nor to the opposition?