'Press needs self-regulation'

 City Police Commissioner  M Chandra Sekhar felt the press should be self-regulated.

Speaking after inaugurating the Press Day programme organised by Dakshina Kannada District Working Journalists’ Association,  Press Club and Patrika Bhavan Trust at Press Club Hall in the city on Friday, he said every system in the democracy has its own checks and balances.

“If any one of the bodies ---Legislature, Executive and Judiciary --- dominate over the other, the remaining bodies will have a check. The civic society is led by the press, which is the biggest check on everyone, as in a civilised society press will raise the issue and things will fall in place without bloodshed.”

Speaking on the occasion, journalist Manohar Prasad, who was the chief guest on the occasion, said the press should deepen the positive social perspective by focusing more on social relations, which are getting diluted these days.

He recalled the history of Mangalura Samachara, the first newspaper published in Kannada and started on July 1, 1843, in Mangaluru.

Roshni Nilaya, Mangaluru, Dean Prof Joslyn Lobo, speaking on ‘Social Networking Sites, Media and Society’, lamented that in an unfortunate development, the social networking sites are being used for character assassination. These days, people are confined to internet, which has increased restlessness. Also, information overload is an issue, he added.

District Working Journalist Association president Jagannath Shetty Bala and General Secretary Shrinivas Nayak Indaje and others were present on the occasion.

‘Focus’, an exhibition of photos was inaugurated by District In-charge minister B Ramanath Rai earlier.