The Karnataka government has appointed veteran journalist Ayesha Khanum as the new chairperson of the Karnataka Media Academy on Wednesday, July 10. Ayesha has had an extensive career in various news organisations and the most recent being chief correspondent for south India at Doordarshan. She is the first woman from a minority community to hold this position.
In addition to Ayesha, the government has named three other notable journalists to the academy. MN Ahobalapathy, a journalist from Chitradurga; K Venkatesh, a senior news photographer from Bengaluru; and K Ningajja, a journalist from Gangavati, have been appointed as members of the academy.
The recommendation for Ayesha’s appointment came from the Chief Minister's media advisor, KV Prabhakar. According to media reports, Prabhakar said that Ayesha's appointment marks a significant step toward social justice, regional representation, and gender equality."As Ayesha is from Kalaburagi, which falls in the Kalyana Karnataka region, her appointment upholds social justice, regional justice, and gender equality," Prabhakar stated.
Congratulating the members, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on social media, “Congratulations to Ayesha Khanam and all the new members who have been appointed as the new President of Karnataka Media Academy. On this occasion, I hope that the Media Academy will work meaningfully by organising programs for improving the professionalism and career skills of journalists under their leadership.”