Mysore/Mysuru: Observing that journalists should work for correcting the wrongs in the society and make it tread on the right path, city’s Maharaja College Principal Prof. C.A. Sridhar said that scribes should also try to find solutions to the problems faced by citizens.

He was speaking at the Kannada Newspaper Day (July 1) celebrations, organised by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Junior B.A. Hall of Maharaja’s College here recently.

Pointing out that newspapers are an integral part of the society, Prof. Sridhar said that the news and articles in newspapers must be factual in nature. Maintaining that newspapers are like an Encyclopedia, he reiterated that journalists should function as surgeons in correcting societal ills.

Stressing on the need for everyone to read newspapers daily, he said that journalism students should make it a habit to visit libraries in order to keep their knowledge updated. He also recalled the services of late M. Venkatakrishnaiah (popularly known as Thathaiah) and Agaram Rangaiah to the field of journalism.

Senior Journalist Amshi Prasannakumar recounted the history of Kannada journalism. He pointed out that it was Hermann Mogling  of Germany who came to Mangaluru as a Missionary of Basel Mission in 1836, pioneered Kannada journalism by starting the first ever newspaper in Kannada ‘Mangaluru Samachara’ in 1843 after mastering Kannada language in just seven years.

Retired faculty Prof. R.N. Padmanabha gave information on the employment opportunities available to journalism students and on higher studies.

Final year BA students of the College were given farewell on the occasion.

College Administrative Officer Prof. Shanmugam, faculty Prof. Lancy D’Souza, Dr. R. Raghavendra, Dr. Swetha M. Hans, Dr. Gopal, Dr. Kudli Gururaj, Keshavamurthy and others were present.