``The Press Council is really an anachronism in this day and age, and at a time when the State's role is sought to be reduced in regulating the media, monitoring of the press is best left to those who are in the business of running newspapers,'' said Mathew in a statement here.

Mathew, who was referring to Justice Sawant's recent comments about the Council being "helpless'' when newspapers disobeyed its directives and the INS' stand on newspaper ownership, appealed to him not to take a ``confrontational approach with professional bodies like the INS.''

He said the INS was not against cooperatives of journalists owning newspapers and has never issued any such statement, but has ``only taken objection to the Chairman, PressCouncil, seeking a change in the present ownership patterns and attacking the role of newspapers belonging to the private sector.''

Describing as "completely inaccurate and misleading'', Justice Sawant's reported statement that INS was ``denigrating its own members belonging to the cooperative sector'', Mathew said, ``We have no quarrel with newspapers being run by cooperatives, alongside newspapers belonging to the private sector.''

He said that ``it was an ideological bias'' not to recognise that the press, largely owned by the private sector, ``has played a positive role in preserving democracy and the freedom of press''.

Appealing to Justice Sawant not to raise controversial issues but work in harmony with INS, Mathew said he should address ``more burning issues that dwell on matters like change of ownership.''

He said the contract system of employment of journalists was governed by relevant laws and the Council did not have powers to go into it.