"I believe today that the state's presence should be reinforced, mainly on television, which definitely needs moral and informational rejuvenation," Sergei Mironov told Vedomosti in an interview.
Russia has come under heavy criticism from Western countries over its media policy. Critics charge that the Kremlin under President Vladimir Putin has clamped down on independent media, and is stifling freedom of expression, charges Moscow says are unfounded.
"The state needs media to pursue its information policy," Mironov said. "These media should substantiate, explain and defend the state position on various issues."
Earlier this month, World Newspaper Congress President Gavin O'Reilly delivered a report at the organization's summit, held in Moscow, in which he highlighted lack of popular confidence in the news provided by Russia's media and excessive state control over the field.
But Putin, speaking immediately afterward, responded robustly.
"I have different data," he said. "The state's share in the Russian press market has continually declined, which is easy to verify, whereas the number of publications is continuing to grow."
