Comments on: Whither Sri Lanka’s media?

By: Walter

Walter — Fri, 04 Oct 2013 03:02:00 +0000

The Press Complaints Commission has published several notices in the press calling for views that will help to improve journalistic standards and ethics.
I wrote to them asking them to rename the P C C as The Media complaints Commission.
The news that is broadcast by some TV stations is aghast, aghast because they are hell bent on promoting some individuals against some others. They have a great impact as all the households of this Country watch TV right through the night. This station is similar to the Government controlled Media.
One TV station in particular keeps on attacking the Opposition leader producing all sorts of video clips to slander him. They are promoting an individual whose father helped this Institution in the in the yester years.
My view is that the Media the Press or Electronic are there only as “whistle Blowers ” to protect the Country and its People.
No TV station has the moral or ethical right to promote or demote any person or Institution.
During news their job is only to broadcast news, news that is of general interest to the Community.
Just watch Al Jazeera, BBC, CNN, Russia Today, VOA, Channel News Asia, Ari rung, NHK etc, etc,
These are professional not gallery like many media institutions of this Country.
Even some of the so called vibrant Media institutions are frightened of the Governments in power.
Very unfortunately this Country will never evolve out of this tragic situation, media Institutions talk of media suppression, Politicians talk of being patriots, business establishments talk of improving the economic status.

We are all “talkers” full of rhetoric but not prepared to take one step forward to salvage this Country.

By: Walter

Walter — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 07:35:41 +0000

To Nizam
You have laboured quite a bit to elucidate about Journalists and Journalism. Your observations are honest and academic.
My contention is away from many of the Academics and Professionals and Researchers who are contributing to GV

We are all talking and talking, writing and writing.
I am a new entrant to GV and my humble observation is that some eminent contributors, eminent by Sri Lankan yardstick, write as if the whole world should accept their views.
Of Course their names are known because they were Ambassadors etc.
You can see the Tint in their writing. They are still protecting their masters who gave them their ambassadorship.
In the good old days of over fifty years ago, Editors and Journalists were one of the highest the most respectable clans.
They were fearless, educated, and enjoyed their profession with the highest respect. They stood their ground without favour nor fear.
Today specially after the takeover of Lake House the Killing of the Sun Newspaper all by Politicians this Country has broken the backbone of the Journalists.
They have killed all the “whistle blowers” and now any Government that comes into power is having a “field day”
When Lake House was taken over the Government said it was to protect Democracy and not allow Newspapers or its owners to dictate policies.
Well and Good, But see what has happened, you cannot get one ounce of truth from Lake House.
Today’s Sunday Leader’s Editorial says what I have said 95% of the Media have lost their credibility.
Mani Dixit said here in Sri Lanka that Media must stand up no matter what.
The Tv station which says WE REPORT YOU DECIDE was originally a channel with charisma, but after it was attacked it is loosing its credibility. I do not think that this forum will allow me to elucidate my claim, I knew the origins of this Company 60 years ago.
Finally I just say this Country and almost all its subjects have sold their credibility their charisma and that includes Jornalists.

By: RogerG

RogerG — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 03:33:01 +0000

Are you talking about SINHALA and TAMIL newspapers as well or are you basing your comments on English newspapers with very limited circulation? Are you fluent and able to read Sinhalese or Tamil? Just curious.

By: Noor Nizam - Canada.

Noor Nizam - Canada. — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:05:20 +0000

From the comments made by a reader, I begin my contribution of thoughts to this wonder presentation of the reality of the plight of Journalism in Sri Lanka. In fact, there is nothing more to indulge, because the “message” has been unraveled in the content and there cannot be any scrutiny of the facts, yet as a freelance journalist, I wish to add some comments that may be worthwhile to present under this glare of facts about Sri Lankan journalism that has been published. The comments made by a reader, I quote below – “A few veteran journalists some writing from overseas only touch on the fringes of controversial subjects, they are either paid or frightened”. The simplest form of definition of Journalism is – the discipline of gathering, writing and reporting news and broadly it includes the process of editing and presenting the news articles (Wikiquote). Journalism applies to various media, but is not limited to newspapers, magazines, radio, and television. A simpler definition is – Journalism is a form of writing that tells people about things that really happened, but that they might not have known about already. Such category of writers emerged too as the “Freelance Journalists”.
Looking back at the history of Sri Lankan journalism, journalists have evolved since the publication of the Colombo Journal on the 1st., of January 1832 as a government publication. After the closure of the Colombo Journal, The Observer and the Commercial Advertiser”, were published on 4th February 1834. This was the commencement of the Observer newspaper which is still published in Sri Lanka. With the need for more news to be disseminated among the British and the English educated elite, the English publications increased to 13 publications. The power of newspapers emerged in the political horizon of Ceylon then. With the winds of nationalism growing among the locals and the need for a change of the British rule and better governance in Ceylon, the dedicated writers to the papers increased. They were the Freelance writers who contributed their thoughts in moulding the Nation to the call of Independence of the country. In the aftermath of the formation of a new nationalist government in 1956, the 1972 constitutional change and the July riots of 1983, Journalism began to polarize as government and anti-government journalism grouping ethnic writers to support their causes. All norms of journalistic codes and ethics were violated in the struggle to drive their “message” to their interest groups. Yet, the “Freelance Journalists” from the beginning, continued their yeoman services, especially at times of need to defend the integrity and sovereignty of the country from where ever they were domiciled, living in Sri Lanka or abroad, respecting the journalistic code and ethics. Indeed they were not paid or were they frightened. I quote a paragraph from this wonderful article “There are many people who have been journalists for more than 40 years now living in abject poverty ( some doing well too); there are many who are forced to work well past their retirement age because even the small income they can get is better than no income at all. Past their prime and in ill health, their former glories are long forgotten and they come to be looked on more as a nuisance than people who once contributed meaningfully to the media in the country.“ This is REAL. Many “Freelance Journalists” belong to this group in the present generation. In the last two decades, “Freelance Journalists” played a major role in countering the on-slaughter of the foreign and international media against the Sri Lanka government’s war against the LTTE. They burnt their night lamps and instantly produced rebuttals and content with truth and facts that were published in a very few print media, many in the popular internet news domains. They had a passion for writing and they were the “Soldiers of the Pen” who fought back barrage of false information and anti-government lobbies. They were not given space in the media in their own motherland. The local Editors and Media gatekeepers did not respect their commitment in the defence of their Motherland. Not even their comments were given a chance for publication. But they were the “Soldiers of the Pen” who stood the heat and faced the challenges because they were “Freelance Journalists”. They were not writing for money or a bottle of arrack. They were writing because they were true sons and daughters of Mother Sri Lanka. When the courageous security forces were fighting the brutal ruthless LTTE war machinery in Sri Lanka, it was these “Freelance Journalists” who were fighting the anti-Sri Lanka mass media abroad. It was a very few internet news domains that gave all the support to publish the content that was written by these men and women, not the national newspapers or internet publications of these so-called leading news publications, because, the so-called journalists belonged to a creed that lack the understanding of their responsibility towards society and the need to be on the side of the people and not on the side of high and mighty whose opinions are forced down the people’s throats day and night in a media driven frenzy, side lined them totally. Believing the media is above reproach (as the writer has mentioned) is the greatest stupidity of these Editors, News Editors, Features Editors, Senior reporters and Media Directors of our Newspapers and the electronic Media. In the aftermath of the victory over the LTTE, in May 2009, these “Freelance Journalist” should have indeed a place in Sri Lanka Journalism and their rights should be respected accordingly.
Noor Nizam.
Canada.

By: raza

raza — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:59:45 +0000

Well said. I do not blame journalisst alone, but also top professionals in other field compromising the ethos/values of their profession for personal gains. These are the root causes for the malady in the society.The journalists and top professionals misleading the masses of the country,who are mostly innocent,cant last long.

By: Don Quixote

Don Quixote — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 05:23:11 +0000

This should be considered (a very gentle) start to the reform process that journalism requires in this Country.

I sincerely hope others take up the baton and proceed to name names and take steps to “excommunicate” those who have compromised the 4th estate in this country.

By: Keynes!

Keynes! — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 04:51:25 +0000

Pukka piece of writing. The fact that the writer does not mention names, however, turns it into a damp squib at the end. It’s time to list the suckers:

[Edited out]

By: Reader

Reader — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 00:38:01 +0000

Just as in the case of all the professions, journalist are the net result of our social and educational systems. When most professionals are mediocre and tend to submit and follow the corrupt system, we cannot expect much more from journalist who face the full brunt of the govt, security apparatus and vested interest in suppressing and hiding the truth from the public.
Moreover when the job entails personal risk to life and family as exemplified by the killings and abductions of many, it is no wonder that this profession is an endangered species and will not attract the cream of society. The few who engage in it with sincerity do so at their own risk due to their passion to uphold truth and justice. Many do it just for a fistful and to curry favour with the powers that be, by showering praise and platitudes on ungodly beasts, sacrificing the principles of truth and justice.

By: Bedrock Barney

Bedrock Barney — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 19:32:33 +0000

A journalist, starts off full of idealism and integrity. He then gets married and has a child. In an era where the cost of living, is rising faster than lady gaga’s skirts, he decides to trade-in “idealism and integrity, for any advantage that aids in giving his child the best shot at life.
In Lanka, politicians control the media, in India conglomerates control the media, in the US political parties control the media, in China ….. we all know about China. Global mainstream media lost it’s independance decades ago. Sri Lankan jurnos have just started to cash- in. Media has gone corporate. Corporations are built on incentive and profit.
Expecting journos to be unaffected, when all other institutions like the police, the judiciary, the legisleture, the excecutive, the education system, the heath sector etc etc, is unrealistic. ‘News Entertainment’ like ‘Sports Entertainment’are here to stay.
So get with the programme. Be a discerning reader. That is the key. Don’t flip to the channel if you don’t like the programme.

By: Imalka

Imalka — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 07:31:32 +0000

This is a very interesting article, a good criticism coming from an experienced journalist about his/her colleagues. Gives a good perspective for the ordinary citizen as well about what happens on the ‘other’ side of the curtain.

This kind of constructive criticisms are necessary to make the journalism field, that plays such an important role in the lives of the people, a better one. The impartiality, independence and other qualities that we expect from journalists are mentioned in the article and it would be good if all personnel in media take a minute to look into their conscience and see whether they truly practice them.

Understandably, life must be touch, especially with the low wages but I think the profession comes with a certain power and that power comes with responsibility. Something everyone should remember.