Mangalore (CBCI News) Sandesha Foundation in association with Raknno Konkanni Weekly and Pingara Kannada weekly celebrated the Press Day, July 1, here.
  

Chief guest of the event, P B Harish Rai, President of the Working Journalists’ Association of South Kanara District of Karnataka recalled the role of Sandesha in promoting art and culture which in collaboration with secular media organizations have been conducting short term journalism courses. He expressed the hope that the Church would continue to show leadership in organizing media education camps for which secular journalists are ready to support.

Herman Mogling, a protestant German Christian missionary, together with missionary related works in Mangalore   was involved in socio-economic activates and especially pioneered publishing works in the local language of Kannada. He published the first Kannada daily newspaper Mangalooru Samachara (Mangalore News) on 1 July 1843. Since then, across the state July 1 is celebrated as Press  day by the secular media.  

‘Mogling thought that the society being in darkness was like a closed room without windows. To bring the society to light we need to create windows to the rooms for which  he started first Kannada newspaper. Genuine media is a real window that brings in light to life’ said Rai. 

‘The real media should enlighten the mind with values and fill peace of mind and interior joy into the heart’ opined president of the programme Jesuit Father Eugene Lobo who was working in Vatican radio till recently.

Three journalists belonging to three major religions of Hinduism, Islam and Christianity were honoured on the occasion.  One of them, Shahanaz  M., a Muslim woman, edits a Kannada monthly journal ‘Anupama’ and writes for secular media. Another, Laxmi Machichina, is known for his  news stories through Udayavani Kannada daily. Third is Stevan Rego of Vijaya Karnataka who has received honours recently for his special human interest stories. Raymond D’Cunha, editor of Pingara introduced the journalists who were honoured.

 ‘The Sandesha Director Father Victor Vijay Lobo promised to organize short term journalism courses annually’. Speakers included Fr Francis Rodrigues, editor of Raknno Konkanni weekly. 

-Francis Rodrigues