Madhyama Academy Awards presented

BANGALORE: “As a Chief Minister, I request the media to carefully report the sensitive issues. These days, breaking news has turned into breaking humans,” opined D V Sadananda Gowda on Tuesday, as he gave away honourary awards to prominent journalists from the state at an programme organised by the Karnataka Madhyama Academy (KMA).“In an age of competition, there are questions being raised as to whether the media needs regulation. Are we looking at legal, social or self-regulation for the media? This is something that needs to be discussed,” he said.He further added that the state government had never interfered in the way the media functioned.“There have been several negative reports and criticisms about my government. I have always respected Freedom of Press. However, sustainance of this freedom lies in the hands of the press itself,” he said.‘Consider Wage Board Recommendations’Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda opined that Majithia’s wage recommendations need to be considered seriously to uplift the welfare and functioning of journalists in the state.Earlier in the programme, Arkere Jayaram, veteran journalist, urged the state government and the Labour Department to intervene to bring reforms in wages paid to journalists, especially from electronic media. “Why can’t journalists earn as well as others? There was a phase when journalists worked for free. I am afraid that the trend has continued,” lamented Jayaram.‘Competition harming media’Veteran journalist G N Ranganath Rao expressed fear that competition in the media was resulting in a bad trend of sensationalism.“After the liberation of the economy in the 90s, price war has taken over media. We have reached a situation where journalists are forced to compromise on ethics for commercial success,” he noted. Even the CM concurred with this view.Nearly 44 journalists were honoured for their service in the field of journalism. Arkere Jayaram, Hunasavadi Rajan, G N Ranganath Rao, S R Ramaswamy were among the many other journalists who were felicitated.