Thursday, July 2, 2009

K'taka to set up Media Varsity

Bangalore Jul 1: The Karnataka Government has a proposal to establish the country's first Media University, state Home Minister V S Acharya said here today.
Speaking after inaugurating the Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of the Karnataka Union of Working Journalists Association (KUWJ), Dr Acharya said recognising the importance of the 'Fourth Estate' in a democratic system, the government planned to set up the university.
Dr Acharya said the government had appointed Karnataka Media Academy as the nodal agency to initiate the process to establish the university which would impart quality education in the media sector.
Stating the media played a pivotal role in strengthening the democratic system, Dr Acharya expressed concern over the present day media which seemed to indulge in sensationalising rather than presenting news in an objective manner.

Dr Acharya also announced the government doubled the prize money for the prestigious T S R Award for outstanding journalists from Rs one lakh to Rs two lakh from this year.
The government had also taken several initiatives to help journalists working in rural areas, including free bus passes. ''The government is also trying to rationalise the policy of releasing state advertisements benefiting rural newspapers,'' he said. State Information Minister Katta Subramanya Naidu said in his address the government had released Rs three crore to KUWJ to construct a 'Patrika Bhavan' here. He also announced an additional grant of Rs 50 lakh towards Journalists Welfare Fund. Journalists working in rural areas can avail the benefit of the state-sponsored 'Yashaswini Insurance Scheme' covering health problems.
Opposition Leader in the Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah expressed concern over the tendency among newspapers 'to glorify certain news especially those related to crime.
(Mangalorean)

The "Real" Fourth Estate (courtesy: Churumuri/The Hindu)

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