Comments on: THE RAJAPAKSE REGIME AND THE FOURTH ESTATE http://groundviews.org/2009/12/08/the-rajapakse-regime-and-the-fourth-estate/ Groundviews is an award winning Sri Lankan citizen journalism initiative Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:35:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Shamed Lankan http://groundviews.org/2009/12/08/the-rajapakse-regime-and-the-fourth-estate/#comment-11787 Shamed Lankan Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:07:31 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=2168#comment-11787 Sounds like this writer, Roberts, is so in love with the Rajapakses that it i impossible to know where they end and he begins. By the way, the Channel 4 video was not refuted by any international outfit, but by "experts" chosen by the Rajapakse junta. Sounds like this writer, Roberts, is so in love with the Rajapakses that it i impossible to know where they end and he begins. By the way, the Channel 4 video was not refuted by any international outfit, but by “experts” chosen by the Rajapakse junta.

]]> By: Belle http://groundviews.org/2009/12/08/the-rajapakse-regime-and-the-fourth-estate/#comment-11725 Belle Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:55:38 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=2168#comment-11725 I wonder how one decides what is true and what are "tall tales" in a context of government censorship of the media, where there are no opportunities for verification of information. How do we know what are 'facts' against which we can compare Channel 4's and Jeremy Page's reports and tag them as false and mischievous? Based on SL government statements of the 'facts'? I don't think so. There's a certain type of malicious dishonesty here in challenging Western media and academics to provide "solid empirical data not fabricated material" while knowing all the while that such free access to information required to facilitate such research is barred by the SL government itself and that the general population is being terrorised into silence through the white vans. The writer here should perhaps place such a burden to provide "solid empirical data, not fabricated material" on himself before demanding it from others. Let us look at just one piece of text from the writer and note his reliance on the vocabulary of gossip and modals of uncertainty to make his case. Note the "may have been", "could have been", "whispers in the corridor", "suggest", and "apparently" with which he makes his case, and all in less than one paragraph: "A few of these instances may have been due to personal entanglements; some of these acts could have been the work of the LTTE; but whispers in the corridors suggest that elements linked to military intelligence and the Tamil paramilitary groups associated with the government had a hand in many of these acts. Indeed, in May 2008 Ranga Jayasuriya was bold enough to state that “Keith Noyahr was the latest victim of the media witch-hunt which is apparently becoming a part of the government's counter insurgency policy.” Is this "solid hard evidence"? Or "fabrication" coming from "cess-pit journalism"? I wonder how one decides what is true and what are “tall tales” in a context of government censorship of the media, where there are no opportunities for verification of information. How do we know what are ‘facts’ against which we can compare Channel 4′s and Jeremy Page’s reports and tag them as false and mischievous? Based on SL government statements of the ‘facts’? I don’t think so.

There’s a certain type of malicious dishonesty here in challenging Western media and academics to provide “solid empirical data not fabricated material” while knowing all the while that such free access to information required to facilitate such research is barred by the SL government itself and that the general population is being terrorised into silence through the white vans.

The writer here should perhaps place such a burden to provide “solid empirical data, not fabricated material” on himself before demanding it from others. Let us look at just one piece of text from the writer and note his reliance on the vocabulary of gossip and modals of uncertainty to make his case. Note the “may have been”, “could have been”, “whispers in the corridor”, “suggest”, and “apparently” with which he makes his case, and all in less than one paragraph:

“A few of these instances may have been due to personal entanglements; some of these acts could have been the work of the LTTE; but whispers in the corridors suggest that elements linked to military intelligence and the Tamil paramilitary groups associated with the government had a hand in many of these acts. Indeed, in May 2008 Ranga Jayasuriya was bold enough to state that “Keith Noyahr was the latest victim of the media witch-hunt which is apparently becoming a part of the government’s counter insurgency policy.”

Is this “solid hard evidence”? Or “fabrication” coming from “cess-pit journalism”?

]]> By: Heshan http://groundviews.org/2009/12/08/the-rajapakse-regime-and-the-fourth-estate/#comment-11709 Heshan Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:21:30 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=2168#comment-11709 There is no point talking about a Western conspiracy to damn Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka damns itself by censoring the press. When there is an allegation, you let a 3rd party investigate it. In Sri Lanka, when there is an allegation, the perpetrator's friends investigates the crime. For example, if the military commits a crime, then the "military" investigates it. There is no neutrality. Therefore, Michael Roberts' claims lack any context; I don't know why Groundviews bothers to entertain such views? Its not even in the interests of objectivity; conspiracy theories are the subject of tabloid journalism (except in Sri Lanka). There is no point talking about a Western conspiracy to damn Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka damns itself by censoring the press. When there is an allegation, you let a 3rd party investigate it. In Sri Lanka, when there is an allegation, the perpetrator’s friends investigates the crime. For example, if the military commits a crime, then the “military” investigates it. There is no neutrality. Therefore, Michael Roberts’ claims lack any context; I don’t know why Groundviews bothers to entertain such views? Its not even in the interests of objectivity; conspiracy theories are the subject of tabloid journalism (except in Sri Lanka).

]]> By: ardneham http://groundviews.org/2009/12/08/the-rajapakse-regime-and-the-fourth-estate/#comment-11707 ardneham Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:27:16 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=2168#comment-11707 It is necessary that opposing forces jointly do their best to uphold Democracy even at this late stage, with the Media part of Democracy being made NIL in S.Lanka. Under this condition will there be any opponent ready to cross-swords with a "village thuggish - Brothers" other than an Army man? It is necessary that opposing forces jointly do their best to uphold Democracy
even at this late stage, with the Media part of Democracy being made NIL in
S.Lanka. Under this condition will there be any opponent ready to cross-swords with a “village thuggish – Brothers” other than an Army man?

]]> By: Observer http://groundviews.org/2009/12/08/the-rajapakse-regime-and-the-fourth-estate/#comment-11703 Observer Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:30:36 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=2168#comment-11703 During that period when the massive propaganda sh1t storm against Sri Lanka hit the news-sphere, aided and abetted by journalists of a "certain" calibre (shock jocks of news industry), for people like us (aching for sri lanka for reasons beyond explanation) the real hope was human intelligence. Most people that matter who had objective eyes didn't buy into it. Not everyone can be fooled. Most of whom I admire that I consider the "vanguard" (the cream of the crop) of humanity's forward march to my relief saw the state of reality. Let's face it foreign policy end of the day is based on intelligence reports not news paper articles ;-) While tabloid (excuse me, cut and paste) sensationalist journalism may get you the page ranks, it doesn't shape destiny. Forget the sheep, the wolves are always alert! And that's all that matters... During that period when the massive propaganda sh1t storm against Sri Lanka hit the news-sphere, aided and abetted by journalists of a “certain” calibre (shock jocks of news industry), for people like us (aching for sri lanka for reasons beyond explanation) the real hope was human intelligence.
Most people that matter who had objective eyes didn’t buy into it. Not everyone can be fooled. Most of whom I admire that I consider the “vanguard” (the cream of the crop) of humanity’s forward march to my relief saw the state of reality. Let’s face it foreign policy end of the day is based on intelligence reports not news paper articles ;-)
While tabloid (excuse me, cut and paste) sensationalist journalism may get you the page ranks, it doesn’t shape destiny. Forget the sheep, the wolves are always alert! And that’s all that matters…

]]> By: jayathilaka http://groundviews.org/2009/12/08/the-rajapakse-regime-and-the-fourth-estate/#comment-11701 jayathilaka Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:08:40 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=2168#comment-11701 today government level charges agaiast the coalition of UNP and JVP .but the real reason behind the the coalition that those major parties of opposition foresee that Mahinda rajapksha regine leave no chance for the democracy in the country any longer once they win the presidential election .therefore it is for the interest of the country the opposition parties have joined together depite theire ideologies and the any body who is politically conscious should understand the real ground situation which is prevailing in Sri lanka and it is high time that the country needs a regime change . today government level charges agaiast the coalition of UNP and JVP .but the real reason behind the the coalition that those major parties of opposition foresee that Mahinda rajapksha regine leave no chance for the democracy in the country any longer once they win the presidential election .therefore it is for the interest of the country the opposition parties have joined together depite theire ideologies and the any body who is politically conscious should understand the real ground situation which is prevailing in Sri lanka and it is high time that the country needs a regime change .

]]> By: Man-U http://groundviews.org/2009/12/08/the-rajapakse-regime-and-the-fourth-estate/#comment-11700 Man-U Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:54:08 +0000 http://www.groundviews.org/?p=2168#comment-11700 Has media in Sri Lanka ever been free (although there are degrees of freedom worldwide) from the State's interventions? You have analysed the Western media's response to Sri Lanka in the last few years. What about the Asian press? Have media organisations in the region been balanced in their reportings of Sri Lanka? Has media in Sri Lanka ever been free (although there are degrees of freedom worldwide) from the State’s interventions?

You have analysed the Western media’s response to Sri Lanka in the last few years. What about the Asian press? Have media organisations in the region been balanced in their reportings of Sri Lanka?

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