Udupi : The Kadengodlu Poetry Award was presented to Vasudeva Nadig at a function organised by the Rashtrakavi Govinda Pai Research Centre here on Saturday.

Delivering a special lecture, Dinesh Amin Mattu, senior journalist, said the late Kadengodlu Shankar Bhat had made immense contributions not only to the field of literature, but also to journalism.

It was essential to bring out a volume on his editorial pieces to benefit the younger generation. Mr. Mattu said if any government help was required for this, he would approach either the Karnataka Madhyama Academy or the Department of Kannada and Culture for funds.

First casualty
“About three decades ago, journalists and journalism in the country exhibited social concern and responsibility. The commercialisation of the media in the last two decades is a cause for concern,” he said.

As long as journalism was a profession, it had social responsibility. But, once it became a business, social responsibility became the first casualty.

The advertising section now had prominence over the editorial section in the media. The line between news and advertising was getting blurred. The ‘paid news’ phenomenon reflected corruption not at the journalists’ level, but at the level of media owners.

The trend of politicians entering the media and owning newspapers and television channels was a dangerous one. Even old newspapers, which stood for values, were now giving more importance to business aspects, he said.

“The social media is gaining ground. This was best illustrated by the recent Lok Sabha elections. The social media was even breaking news, but faceless journalism could be dangerous.

“There is a crisis of honesty, credibility and professionalism in the field of media now. Readers too should strive to have an independent and responsible media,” Mr. Mattu said.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Nadig said he was delighted to receive the award. Poetry should unite people and create more compassion among them. Poetry was getting lesser space in Kannada newspapers and journals because of the corporatisation of the media, he added. A. Lakshminarayana Alva, writer; Kusuma Kamath, principal of MGM College; K.S.Bhat and Eashwar Bhat, sons of Kadengodlu Shankar Bhat, were present. The Hindu