Mangalore: Jogi, popular columnist and editor of Udayavani supplement has regretted the undue importance attached to debates on trivial issues in the edit pages of newspapers in the recent times.

Addressing a programme organized at Press Club in Mangalore on behalf of the DK District Working Journalists’ association on Monday, July 2, he said undue importance was given to colour and layouts rather than the actual content.

Regretting that literature has been kept at bay by newspapers these days, he recalled how write-ups of much literary value used to be published in the past.

He also said he was greatly inspired by journalists like P Lankesh in his younger days and said in the past there were journalists who were even eminent writers and contributed to literature in their own way.

The programme was earlier inaugurated by Vasanth Kumar Perla, Programme Executive, Akashavani, Mangalore. P B Harish Rai, President, Dakshina Kannada Working Journalists’ Association, Ramakrishna Rao, President, Mangalore Press Club and others were present on the occasion.