NEW DELHI: The Press Council of India on Wednesday issued an advisory addressed to all state governments and administrative authorities asking them to take all necessary measures to ensure the smooth functioning of media during the 21-days lockdown to rein in the coronavirus pandemic.The PCI statement read, “At this critical juncture, ensuring uninterrupted operation of printing Press, facilitation of functioning of media persons and continuity of distribution infrastructure of newspapers and magazine is vital.”The statement added that it is essential that the media houses be facilitated with the required support or assistance for continued dissemination of appropriate information not only to create awareness amongst people but also for keeping the nation updated on the latest status related to the COVID-19 outbreak, it added.Earlier in the week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi , during his interaction with print and electronic media persons, had said media was a part of the critical infrastructure that would help the country tide over the coronavirus crisis, in creating awareness as well as in countering fake news.On Monday, the ministry of information and broadcasting had also dispatched a similar missive to states and union territories asking them to ensure operational continuity of print and electronic media in the current situation, emphasising the vital role of the news media, across print, FM and TV formats, in news dissemination.