Manmohan Singh meets members of the press corps in Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI)

New Delhi, Oct. 5: Wife Gursharan Kaur by his side, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today had a date with the capital?s women press corps but he steered clear of making any categorical statement on FDI in media.

Speaking on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Indian Women?s Press Corps, Singh assured the journalists they would be consulted while formulating a new media policy, taking care not to go into the controversy with the Left parties.

?Our government welcomes the possibility of discussing the policy towards investment in our media with representative bodies like the women?s press corps,? he said, adding he had little doubt that greater professionalism could be ensured ?by allowing the winds of competition to blow freely across all sectors of the media?.

Singh, however, sought a review of the media policy in the context of the information revolution and liberalisation to ensure a suitable framework for ?freedom of competition?.

?We need to ensure that there is a suitable framework for freedom of competition to be meaningful for all players in the media sector.?

He said ?a review of our media policy is, therefore, necessary, both in the context of changes consequent to the information revolution and in light of the incremental process of opening of the Indian economy.?

A group of ministers on media policy was recently constituted to advise the government on how to create a fair and balanced policy framework, he said. ?Our government welcomes the possibility of discussing the policy towards investment in our media with representative bodies such as IWPC.?

Lamenting that the Indian media ?still has some distance to traverse to ensure genuine gender equality?, Singh made a strong plea for creating ?a congenial, safe and equitable working environment? in the media sector.

?I would also include the goal of ensuring that there is adequate space for the representation of women?s views by the media. Ensuring a balanced and non-stereotyped portrayal of women is one of the strategic objectives of women participating in the media sector.?

He said the government had to play in creating a ?fair society, free of biases on the basis of gender?, from ensuring that women were equipped to compete as equals in the job market to enforcing rules to prevent offensive portrayals of women.

Singh also stressed that the media should seriously address the ?questions of professionalism, of objectivity and balance in reportage and in commentary?.

He asked media bodies to ?monitor how our press balances, in its day-to-day reportage, the rights it enjoys through the freedom of the press and the duties that are implicit in the principles of fair play and objectivity, professional integrity and excellence.?