Samoa's Prime Minister, Tuila'epa Sa'ilele Malielegaoi, says having a media council is normal practice in democratically-run countries and allows the public to have their complaints about the media heard.
The prime minister has responded to an editorial by the chief editor of the daily newspaper, Savea Sanoa Malifa, who is objecting to the government push to set up a media council.
Savea in his editorial described Tuila'epa's move similar to a dictator such as Fiji's interim leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
However the prime minister has dismissed the claim saying Bainimarama dictates with a pistol in his hand.
The local media will be meeting next Wednesday to review the national code of practice.
