The Gulbarga-based Gelayara Balaga on Tuesday felicitated the Karnataka Media Academe award winners.
   The function, which was organised at the Eiwan-e-Shahai government guest house, was inaugurated by former minister S K Kanta, and was attended among others by senior journalists T V Shivanandan, S R Mannur, Vadiraj Vyasamudra and Ramakrishna Badaseshi, Devegouda Tellur, Shivakanth Mahajan and Prakash Benakanhalli.
   Three journalists, namely, Shankar Kodla, Jayatheertha Patil and Seshamurthy Avadhani, who have received the Karnataka Media Academy award for the year 2006, were felicitated.
   Speaking after inaugurating the programme, Mr Kanta stressed that the media was playing a big role in exposing corruption in the society. He pointed out that many development schemes, including the irrigation projects, started here during the time of late chief minister S Nijalingappa, had not been completed till this day.
   However, it was the press which had highlighted this, and had been successful in opening the eyes of the government.
   Later, many speakers felt that the many awards being presented by the government were loosing their sheen, as well as their sanctity. Senior journalists like Khadri Shamanna, T S Ramachandra Rao, S V Jayasheel Rao, and others were never given any awards. "It is important that a journalist follows ethics, regardless of getting an award," they said.