Guwahati, Jan 1 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said print and electronic media must reflect the aspirations of the state's youth to remain relevant in the present age.

'Assam is now an aspirational state and the media, too, should be aspirational. It should not remain imprisoned in the decades of '70s, '80s and '90s of the last century and reflect the hopes and thoughts of the new generation', the CM said during an interaction with journalists here.

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Society has changed and the new generation are asking new questions and therefore, 'my appeal to the media in Assam is to come out of the prism of the last century, report the changes that are taking place and not dwell on the negatives of the past', he said.

The youth have embraced the social media which is taking over the print and electronic media as far as viewership is concerned, he added.

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'There has been a drastic fall in the circulation of Assamese language newspapers and it is a matter of deep concern for me as it provides employment to a large number of people', Sarma said.

Advertisements are coming out of print and electronic media to social media and this is is a matter of concern, he added.

Referring to his social media posts, the CM said three of his recent videos on issues related to decline in accidents, the forthcoming 'Advantage Assam' conclave and possible investments in the line of the semiconductor assembly unit at Jagiroad had garnered one crore viewership each.

'People, particularly the youth, are moving to social media as they don't get explanations or answers to their questions in the print or the electronic media', he added.

Asked about benefits for journalists, Sarma said if the media industry flourishes, the government will definitely provide them with the necessary benefits and incentives.

'The priority, however, is to collectively strive to ensure that the print and electronic media reorient and reinvent itself in a manner that reflects the hopes and aspirations of society and the youth in particular', he said.

If a collective effort is made then definitely the circulation of print and viewership of the electronic media will definitely improve, the CM asserted.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)