Bashing up journalists is slowly turning into a sport. While the electronic media  has had its share, print journos, particularly those covering films, are not spared either. The attitude of newcomers — right from the producer, cast and crew towards the Press, leaves an unpleasant after taste. More so, when it has been the Press that has played a major role in nurturing Kannada cinema.

Post Mungaaru Male and Duniya, hordes of people from other vocations chose to enter this field, lured by the glamour and now, the potential market. With no proper schooling in cinema, they ushered in their set of 'ethics' and lo! several were affected, including the Press, who have to put up with more than the usual number of mediocre crap in the name of professionalism. It is not that the scribes are faultless. Some of us are. But when news is to be disseminated, these things shouldn't come in the way.

A recent film launch showed the disdainful attitude of the newcomers towards the Press. For one, the director spoke as if he was indulging excited kids, not revealing much of any worth. And for another, the lead pair, whose performances have been appreciated but are yet to sustain the success, were eager to oblige the microphones, thrust in their faces or stuck somewhere inside their robes. By the time they found time to chat with the scribes, the latter had decided to walk out. So much for news, or gossip, from the filmi duniya!