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Monitor
st 2004

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RESPONSIBLE MEDIA A
Α a group of 32 provincial media people representing Ke. Kurunegala, Kandy, and Anuradhapura districts, We had the o our Northern counterparts, the ordinary public and the LTTE lead Jaffna from Sept 16 to 18.
Based on the discussions. We had with them we would like to state
The Sri Lankan government and the LTTE shoul agenda as early as possible
While being aware of the inherent responsibilitie media culture ensuring balanced reporting, relati Our desire is for the media to follow peace and na
Hewa P. Karunaratne- LAKBIMA, M.B.B. Pahalawatte - DIVAIN. LANKADEEPA, Ratnasriri Athukorala - LA KBIMA, K. Upl LAKBIMAN. Manivannam - UVA BROADCASTINGSERVICE, - LAKBIMA, R. Pushpakanthan - FREELANCE JOURNALIST, F RUPAVAHINI, Percy Kuruneru - DIVAINA, Wijeratne Wangiyakur Nayana Tennekoon - ITN, T. Rohana Siriwardene - DINAMINA. LAKBIMA, Karunaratne Dissanayake - LANKADEEPA.R.A.G. Rar SERVICE, R.N. Piyasena - SLBC, J.L.G.D. Silva - LANKADEEP - DIWAINA Gamini Arunapala - DIWAINA, Mahanama Galahitiya SLBC, Bandu Warnakulasuriya - KANDURATA SERVICE, S SWARNAVAHINI, Tennakoon Kulasuriya - LAKE HOUSE, Saratl THE KANDY NEWS, Kamal Liyanarachchi - LAKBIMA, Uvin RAWAYA, Nayana Ganeshan - FREELANCE JOURNALIST, Bu PHOTOJOURNALIST
مجھنجھلی J ནི། །
Meeting LTTE. Political Wing Leader, TanMiilselwan
를IA Workshop held at the basedia TrainingInstitute, Jaffna .E سمصسے
Saba
**Waiting for Solheim δευτείες,
Published above are some photographs taken when agroup of Provin the war affected areas of Jaffna and Killinochchi from September selected from among 37 journalists who took part in Workshops on flict Resolution Journalism' held over six months by the CPA.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Media Monitor
MUST
galle, Galle, Matale, pportunity of meeting 2rs during our visit to
the following.
d resume peace negotiations on a mutually acceptable
's, the media men should take steps to create a better ng to ethnic issues arising out of the 20 year old war »t pour!
A, Jayaratna Villaka - 11 - RUPAVAHINI} H. Nimal Karlumaratne Kumara Udayaratna - mbura -. DINAMINA, Lalith Channindu - deniya - RAJARATA A, S.K. Kaluarachchi Wa-LAKE HOUSE hanika Abeywira - n Kumara Doolwala - du Kurukulasuriya - ddihika Wiraisinghe -
ngLTTE Jafina Political Leader, C. Illamparithi
Cover Design : Oil Painting "Wictor' by Chandragupta Thenuvera
: pathipillai Refugee Carnp
cial Journalists toured 15 to 18. They were "The Practice of Con

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Media
JOURNALISMAND CONFLICT 12
*CONTESTING HEGEMONIES” 7
FUNDAMI
25
CASE STUDIES * FIGHTINC
*e Man i Robes and the Kovii Pries: -7 TH Ο P P G The Servant Girl and the Muslim Couple-8 BUT Again, the Sane Mistake - 7 DYING IN Plantations to Form Alliance with LTTE-9
NEWSPA
Sudaroli: A Tiger Publication - 20 The Sinhala Tiger-2 OFFICES
Kandapala Shooting - 28
* First published RAVAYA
The Editorial Team
Sunanda Deshapriya - Sunandacacpalanka.org
Uvindu Kurukulasuriya – uvindu(ajournalist.com
 
 
 

Monitor
www.cpalanka.org/media.html
2-13
CONENS
A WOrd 2
A guide to better practice 3
A mistake made 4
Good journalism, around the World 6
N Why are journalistic ethics violated? 14
Diversity in the mediaGeneral tips on reporting diversity 15
19 A Statement of Shared Purpose ہے۔
ENTALISM LTTE bank robbery. Incomplete
reporting 18
The aim Of the PCC is mot lawi but justice 29
SIN HSZs, landmines, IDPs and ALA Peace Zones 22
Declaration of Principles
COLOMBO on the Conduct of Journalists 24
One Event Different Pictures 26
A few questions 27

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A W(
The concepts of Media freedom and the Media's social responsibility are inter-connected and therefore inseparable. This is because media freedom springs from the peoples’ right to information.
The first sentence of the Code of Professional Ethics of the International Federation of Journalists reads: "The journalists first responsibility is to honour the truth and the peoples' right to know the truth." How far have we taken that obligation and acted upon it with a sense of social responsibility?
Article 7 in the above code reads: "The
CPA is an independent, non-partisano firm belief that the civil society contri Stre
Centre For Poli 24/2, 28th Lane, Off Te1 : 011 25653C
Email: c
 

Media Monitor
ORD
journalist must be aware of the dangers of
existing discriminations being further escalated.' Do we pave the way to foster mutual understanding among social and religious groups through our journalistic conduct? Or do we aggravate the existing problems? In brief, is the media an integral part of the question of human rights, democracy and peace in Sri Lanka or part of its solution"?
"Madhya Vimarshi", "Uludaga Nokku", and "Media Monitor" will strive to make itself into an instrument to find answers to these questions from within the media community itself.
iki Ciri
rganization which was formed in 1996 in the bution to public policy is vital and in need of ngthening.
cy Alternatives (CPA) Flower Road, Colombo - 07 46, Fax: 011 471446() ba(asri.lanka.net

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Media Monito
I NDECEMBE media p Africa and abroad
globalisation, tech
influence the port
A presence of racism Held in Decemb
gUicle O the Book in Cape
also worked on the
Eeter guidelines and
document.
Conference sp C C CG Peace Centre, ende discussion of iss
South African
Commission in its the media (Aug convening a natio which internati
participated.
The vision was 1 problem of racism within an internati
1 Avoid labellir
does not supp
2 Create and nu
media.
3 Deepen both t
text (historica as well as the
4 Consult cons
works and re (eg. the forth in South Afric ance in report Journalists sh business to be frameworks ar
5 Build capacity
journalism trai running traini with issues of the media.
6 AWoid coded i
(eg: “A man killed seven p to code for ra ceived as reinf media. This lenged and mc
 

3
Guide Limes
ER last year (2001) eople from South met to discuss how nology and power rayal of race and in the media. per at the Centre for Town the delegates development of a best practices
onsor, the Media avoured to further ues raised by the
Human Rights report of racism in gust 2000), by nal conference in onal delegates
o contextualise the in in South Africa onal perspective.
Agreement was expressed that racism and its representation in the media is a fundamental human rights violation. The media therefore faces the challenge of balancing this right (the right to equality) against their understanding of the right to freedom of expression.
Everyone in a society is entitled to participate equally, and, to support this, the representation of each person in the media must be done with respect contributing to social transformation. Participants came up with a lOpoint document with guidelines for good journalism and best practice in dealing with and covering racism and race in the media.
This document needs development, but constitutes a sound point of departure.
The guidelines include:
g identity (in terms of race and colour) - it stigmatises and
Ort a culture ofequality.
rture a language of tolerance, diversity and equality in the
he journalists and the audience’s understanding of the con
l, social, political, economic) out of which a story emerges, context into which it is reported.
stitutional frame
sulting legislation Doming Equity Act :a) for formal guiding more equitably. ould make it their familiar with these hd legislation.
in newsrooms and
ning institutions boy ng courses dealing race and racism in
information in news
from Khayelitsha eople using place ace) which is perorcing racism in the needs to be chalodified.

Page 6
4
Editor's View
7 Be careful of over classifying news into beats. Some
participants argued that reporters are sent to cover potentially volatile stories with sensitive race issues but are handicapped by the limitations of their beat frame
Works.
8 Recognise and advance the advisory role of the media
and its capacity to assist communities in understand
ing social and economic problems.
A MISTAKE
MADE
Victor Ivan
Editor-inChief, Rawaya
Α
Retrospection
This whole incident
created a great
consternation for me.
This could be
considered as the first
lesson I learnt about the damage that could be done to the
innocent due to our
failure to adhere to the norms of correct reporting.
oday, it is th enjoys the ri
expression to its Though it is essent to use his pen as a expose the m corruption, in that responsibility to u such a manner as
innocent.
If a journalist d conditions laid di
freedom of express Whatsoever, then tC
for the innocent to
I can never forg the first lesson in t
It could be sai
child abuse have
special place 1 importance of the i to relate is sec
Sandarekha story r subject which creat in the country aft Rawaya.
 

Media Monitor
9 Explore the potential for self-regulation on racism frace
issues. This would require providing the time, space and motivation for self-reflection on the media's part, something journalists are not inclined to do, in the harried world of deadlines.
1. O Explore the link between race and other issues – rela
tions of power within the media hawe to be thought through within the paradigm of race, but also within the paradigms of gender and class.
he journalist who ght to freedom of maximum degree. al for the journalist bowerful weapon to alpractices and
exercise he has a
ise that weapon in
not to harm the
oesn’t adhere to the own for using his sion for any reason )o there is occasion
suffer grave loss. get the way I learnt his regard. d that incidents of always received a n Ravaya. The incident I am going ond only to the elevant to the same ed a great sensation er its exposure by
This incident took place in December, 1996. It was from a child psychologist that I learnt about the child abuse business in a Beruwala children's home, run jointly by the local hoteliers association and the Lions
Club.
On an occasion when the psychologist visited the children’s home, he, after giving them the necessary material, had requested the children to draw a picture of their choice. On becoming suspicious after studying some of the pictures, he had questioned the children and discovered that some of them had been abused by foreigners. He had lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Probation
and Child Care, but for some reason
or other the Commissioner had not taken any action. I published this incident in banner headlines on the
information I had received. As a result the police raided the institution and had the children examined by a doctor.

Page 7
Media Monito
It was revealed at this examination
that seven children of the age group 7 to 15 had been abused and some of
them had also contracted venereal
diseases.
A well-known hotelier of the area and some officers of the Department of Probation and Child Care were
associated with this incident.
The Inspector General of Police, before he tookup duties as the IGP had served as the security chief in one the companies belonging to the hotelier involved in this incident, and since attempts were made to suppress the incident, I was compelled to expose the connection this hotelier had with the
IGP. As a result I had to face criminal defamation charges filed by the Attorney General on behalf of the IGP After the police raided this place, other newspapers also published detailed reports of the incident for a number of weeks.
The press had reported that once the police raided the children's home, the children were produced before the Judicial Medical Officer of Aluthgama who reported that the children had not been victims of child abuse. The Superintendent of Police, who was in charge of the investigations being suspicious of the medical report, produced the children before the JMO, Nagoda hospital, who after examining them found that seven of them had been
raped and seven more were suffering from Venereal diseases. But none of the newspapers had made enquires from the JMOAluthgama, before publishing their reports. Ravaya too as a weekend newspaper in a feature article, had cited some of these reports from other
newspapers.
Sometime after the publication of this feature article the particular lady JMO wrote to me clarifying matters. She also had annexed reports of enquiries conducted by the Ministry of
Health and by th Officers Associ
There she h;
these children
her, she had o
examination wa say that they ha abuse. But the investigations a he had agains produced the ch JMO but had report to the pre her.
It became c
came from the investigations, published it verification. In
said that Rawa
information giv in its feature :
written in a very manner about th
mind this news
shockIgot as Ir very great. It oc been a party to immediately pu tendered my si lady doctor.
After the put she sent a letter
had said that she
to other newsp; earlier news, satisfactory resp She had also se
that at least the
editor who wa
publicly accept: him and that she
to now had new
of this correctio
This whole
consternation f
considered the f
the damage tha innocent due to
to the norms of

he Government Medical
ation separately.
ad stressed that though were produced before inly said that further s necessary and did not ad not been subject to ; SP in charge of the cting on an old grudge st her, had not only ildren before the other
also released a false
'ss in order to discredit
lear that as this report SP in charge of the the newspapers too without further
the letter she had also ya too had used the en in other newspapers article. She had also
emotional and painful he extent of the pain of had caused her. The
ead the letter was really curred to me that I had a great Wrongdoing. I blished the letter and ncere apologies to the
blication of my apology thanking me. In it she had sent the correction
apers that reported the
but there was no onse from any of them. lid that she was happy
ire was one newspaper is prudent enough to a mistake committed by 2 who was half-dead up hopes for life because in published in Rawaya. incident created a great or me. This could be
irst lesson I learnt about
t could be done to the
) our failure to adhere
correct reporting.
In the letter she had also said that Ravaya too had used the information given in other newspapers in its feature article. She had also written in a very emotional and painful manner about the extent of the pain of mind this news had caused her. The shock I got as I read the letter was really very great.

Page 8
Good Journalism
Good journal
or citizens in a conflict to make well-informed decisions :
their conflict, they must have good journalism. Around the journalists have developed principles and basic standards b achieve good journalism. Unfortunately there are many place have to work under different rules imposed by governments orb But wherever professional journalists come together to freely do, and to guide themselves, they refer to these professional st
There are more than 50 professional journalists association with similar codes of conduct or standards. Many can be fic ethicnet. One example is the International Federation of Journ
Good journalism. What it should NOT be:
Defamatory: Good journalism does not tell lies and twist the truth about Derivative: Good journalism does not simply repeat what has been r else. Copying others news may repeat false information. Malicious: Journalism is powerful. News reports can ruin reputations, p or cause public panic. Good journalism is not used to inten persons.
Corrupt: Goodjournalism does not accept bribes. It does no special Good journalism is not for sale.
What good journalism should include:
1. Accuracy: Getting the correct information is most important of all. Everythi must be described accurately - the spelling of names, the fact and the real meaning of what was said. Before they report it, g. the evidence and accurate facts.
A good journalist will rush to get the news first. But first, the right. People will not talk to journalists if they fear journalists words accurately, or will not describe things as they really are
2. Impartiality (balance): Almost every code of good journalism puts importance on impai sides. To do this, a good journalist will seek to produce a repor To be balanced is to include both sides. There are always tw involving conflict. Citizens need to know what the other sides affect them.
Balance is as important in every story as accuracy. People will no who only reports one side of the story. Impartiality also means journalist is not an active leader in any political group or II journalism is an important defence for reporters in a time of should be respected because they take no sides.
3. Responsibility :
Journalists have obligations to the people they report about, a whom they report the news. Journlalists have a responsibility to Many people will not tell journalists important news if they feart

Media Monitor
lism, around the World
"Conflict sensitive journalism handbook" CBA - IMS publication
and perhaps resolve
world, professional y which they try to es where journalists y powerful interests. consider what they andards.
s around the world und at www.uta. fi/ alists (www.ifj.org).
people.
aported somewhere
ut people in danger, tionally harm other
favours for anyone.
ng which is reported s as they happened, pod journalists seek
ournalist Inust get it will not repeat their
tiality, on not taking twhich is balanced. o sides in any story says, and how it will
ottalk to a journalist hat the professional Lovement. Impartial conflict. Journalists
und to the society to
protecttheir sources.
hey will be revealed.

Page 9
Media Monitor
“Contesting
Trilateral (linguistic)
Sunanda Deshapriya
(This article was first presented at a workshop organised by South Asia Forum on Human Rights (SAFHR) in Chennai on Nov 29, 2002) I t is not new to say that there is an ethnic bias in the mainstream media in Sri Lanka. Number of studies have proved this fact beyond doubt. Compounded by protracted ethno-political conflict resulting in social-political polarization, exacerbated by ineffective media reforms and coupled with the imperatives of market economics, the mainstream media in Sri Lanka continues to perceive ethnicity as immutable and innate, neglecting its responsibility to demystify stereotypes and buttress institutions and practices that can ameliorate ethno-political conflict.
While it is natural that any media has to keep its language readership in mind, it is also the case that impartiality and accuracy suffer as a result of this inherent bias. In an ethnically polarised society, ethnic bias in mainstream news media takes many forms. The ethnic bias of a particular newspaper is also reflected in the ownership of media houses. On the one hand, the ethnic ownership of media annuls efforts by reporters to examine the realities of other ethnic groups. On the other hand, sustained exposure to the ideology of ethno-centric editorial policies and ethnic ownership enerwate new and vibrant journalism that seeks to question and critique the dominant paradigm. This complex dialectic is evident in almost all the mainstream media in Sri Lanka, and is a vicious cycle that must be broken for any real media reform.
Newspaper establishments owned by Sinhalese show a majoritarian bias regardless of their language medium. Three such establishments publish newspapers in English, and all of them have a pro-Sinhala bias in varying degrees. Although English literary is around 7% in Sri Lanka, and a sizeable amount of Tamils are included in this percentage, no effort is made to examine the news from the perspective of the Tamils or any other minority community. Furthermore, none of these Sinhala-owned private mainstream media establishments publish newspapers in Tamil.
The same, un fortunateljo, is true for media establishments with Tamil ownership. None of then publish any newspapers in Sinhala, although one of then used to publish a weekend newspaper in English with a definite pro-Tamil nationalist bias. In recent times, the Tamil speaking Muslim community has complained that the

Analysis
- و Hegemonies
media in Sri Lanka
Case study
THE MAN IN ROBES AND THE
KOVIL PRIEST
Lankadeepa, September 3. 2004 "The man in robes remanded for allegedly molesting ჯჯ?iჯ?&ჯ’’
Lankadeepa, September 6. 2004 "Two sisters allegedly molested by the man in robes abducted”
Is the offender a bhikku, a Hindu priest or one belonging to any other religious faith?
The two news items have failed to explain as to who the person in robes really is.
Despite priests of various religious faiths wearing robes the reader will no doubt identify the two persons in these incidents as Buddhist
What media culture is backing this habit of disrobing a bhikku the nonent one of then is alleged to have been involved in an unlawful act? Are not the journalists aware of the presumption of innocence until guilt is proved?
In the recent past, a good number of bhikkus were suspected of child abuse, treasure hunting and illicit intimacies. In each such case the suspected bhikkus were identified as men in robes.
Prior to a person being dealt with by the law; this bizzare mode of reporting finds him guilty of the alleged offence and LCL 0L0L0L 00CLLtLLL GtL0LrrrLLL LLLLLLLLS LLLLL 0LLLL L0LLMLLLLLL LLL LLLG0LLCLLS no such right.
An incident involving a nayaka thera in Galle reported in the Daily News under the heading "A man in robes arrested". What right does the mass media have to convict a high priest before he is found guilty by a court of law? This disrobing by media is meant to imply that the culprits are Foi redal miofiks.
Non-Buddhist priests suspected of an offence were referred to in both the Sinhala and English papers aspoosari (Hindu priests) or Catholic priests which is markedly different from the treatment meted out to bhikkus by the mass media. Why this discrimination?
The Daily News, in a news item on page one, referring to an incident of child abuse stated, "A Catholic priest arrested". This itself shows the extent to which editors are prejudiced against both religion and ethnicity; and the scant regard paid to the code of ethics which regulates the profession.
Journalism grants the individual no leave to act arbitrarily, but with a sense of social responsibility fortified by the Code of Ethics. Violation of the Code of Ethics has a serious impact on professionalism, which eventually results in eroding the mass media's credibility:

Page 10
mainstream Tamil media ignores their concerns, and as a result it is not impossible to understand the emergence of a Tamil language newspaper with Muslim ownership. There is already one such newspaper. One can already see the emergence of alternative Muslim newspapers which appeal to the radical sections of the Muslim Community.
The State owned Lake House, published newspapers in all three languages, with the English and Tamil newspapers also showing a distinct pro-Sinhala bias. The State mainstream media in Sri Lanka Supinely accept the dominant political paradigm - when the state is at war, conflict sensitive journalism and independence usually succumb to the enfilade of propaganda. When the state is at peace, the State media blindly and uncritically endorse the peace initiatives of the incumbent government.
Not to be forgotten is Dedunna, the Sinhala newspaper published by the LTTE. It had become the Tamil voice in Sinhala, reporting on Tamil grievances during the on-going
peace process.
What may not be immediately evident from the above is the peculiar relationship between the market and SinhalaBuddhist ideology in Sri Lanka, with regard to media institutions. For instance, the openly pro Sinhala-Buddhist ideology of the Upali Group of Newspapers is not solely based on market share.
Although the market share of the Upali Group of Newspapers is much smaller than the Wijeya Group, which is the market leader, the former makes little effort to break out of a framework defined by its acceptance of the SinhalaBuddhist hegemony.
This can result in tragi-comic scenarios. For instance. in the general election of December 2001, the Upali Group of Newspaper took a pro-UNF (United National Front) line and wrote against the anti-LTTE stance of the PA (Peoples Alliance). However, during the course of the present peace process, the newspapers of the Upali Group have been virulent critics of almost all aspects of the process, and have done little to demystify and constructively engage with the entire process.
Case Study:
On October 9, 2002, a clash took place between a few hundred people and the Special Task Force (STF) Army Camp in the East of Sri Lanka, in a place called Kanchamkuda. Some persons among the group attacked the camp with stones and tried to enter and destroy the camp premises. They wanted the camp to be removed. On this particular day, according to LTTE sources, two of their members had been assaulted by STF personnel, a charge which the STF denied. The LTTE undoubtedly helped mobilise the mob against the STF camp. Unable to stop the agitated mob from entering the camp after using tear gas

Media Monito
Case study
THE DOMESTIC AID AND THE MUSLIM COUPLE
The headline on page 3 of a daily newspaper of the last day of the month of January, which ran to 6 columns, was as follows: "Girl brought as domestic help sold to playboys for four years — Suspected Muslim couple erialdec. “ The Second headlie Was Carpiec as a ჯგixგ;"ჯგ bჭock
The third page of a newspaper is an important page. The reason being that it is the page the reader opens іттеadiately after page l. Items of тем»s, игhich generate reader interest, are normally carried on this page.
The above news item is striking for its very nature. The fact that this has happened for four year's goes to heighten the curiosity and interest in the news item. However the next line, "Suspected Muslim couple remanded does not create curiosity but racial prejudice. What does the newspaper expect to achieve by giving a racial connotation to the news item, instead of simply stating, "Suspected couple remanded?"
Was it the fact that they were Muslims that made this couple use this girl for prostitution? Would not such abuse occur at the hands of a Sinhala of Tamil family? What is the relationship between this abuse and ethnicity?
According to clause 6.4(i) of the Code of Ethics of the Editors' Guild (of which the Editor of the newspaper. which published the above article, is also a member), such an implication of racism, which has no relevance. is therefore wrong. The Code of Ethics says, “The press must avoid prejudicial or pejorative reference to a persons race, colour; religion, sex or to any physical or mental illness or disability"
What is the connection bef Weeft the ste WS iterin regarding the above mentioned servant girl and the ethnicity of this couple? Can the above newspaper demonstrate a relationship between the alleged offence and ethnicity? If a person of a minority ethnic group is suspected in relation to an offence, the culture of the Sri Lankan Sinhala media is to connect his ethnicity to the offence. This is a gross violation of local media ethics as well as ethics accepted by the world media. It denotes racial prejudice.
Another news item published in the same page highlights this issue. It reads as follows:
"Mother who beat up girl and applied gamboges (goaka) on the wounds remanded'. This headline does not mention an ethnicity even though the incident is a serious and inhuman offence. The headline does not denote the ethnicity of the mother because she is Sirikia lese.

Page 11
Media Monito
and rubber bullets, STF personnel opened fire using live
ammunition, killing seven people and injuring 14 others.
A look at the way in which the mainstream media in
Colombo reported this incident a day after is revealing.
English News Papers
O Four killed as mob attacked STF camp - Premier ordersfull probe (Daily Mirror, Wijeya Group)
O LTTE storms Akkareipattu STF Camp (The Island, Upali Group)
Sinhala Newspapers O Gunfire at a group who tried to storm in to a STF camp - 6 dead. 5 STF injured as well
(Daily Lankadeepa, Page 3 column, Wijeya Group) OFour tigers dead after clash in Ampara-PM orders commander to investigate (Divaina,
Front Page 3 column, Upali Group) O Group which attacked STF Camp shot at. Six dead. 27 injured. PM Order's a probe
(Lakbima, Page 2 column, Sumathi Group) O Military leaders dispatched to investigate Akkareipattu incident where two persons have died. (Dinamina, Page 3 column, Lake House)
The Kanchamkuda incident is not reported as headline news in the Ceylon Daily News (State owned)
Tamil Newspapers
O Four dead as STF fires into a hartal. 14 injured Potuvil Media refo IL "TE le ca de for accuses STF Inextricably (Virakesari) reform sho
O Seven people dead, 15 injured due ίκι legislation Thitukkovil-Rani orders probe to Speech (Thinakkural) asSociation.
O Seven dead, 16 injured due to STF firing into a peoples
rally in East (Sudaroli)
Hartal in Kainunei, tires in Akkareipattu burned to
protest STF action — PM orders immediate inquiry (Thinakaran, State Owned)
Other than the immediately evident discrepancies in the headlines, one can also see that not even a single Tamil language newspaper used the word stormed or any equivalent. The Tamil media has the STF firing into a hartal or peoples' protest, and gave more prominence to the LTTE version of events. On the other hand, news reports of privately owned English newspapers had the STF firing into a mob led by the LTTE. Here too, while the Island directly attributes the mob attack to the LTTE, the Daily Mirror does not.

rm has also to be looked at holistically. i entwined with the impetus for media uld also be the enabling framework of egarding the right to information, the right ind the journalists right to freedom of
The Sinhala newspapers were milder in their headlines, but reflected the bias in the English newspapers. The Sinhala daily (Divaina) of the Upali Group did not mirror the headlines of its English counterpart (The Island). However, the weekend Divaina, under a different Editor, took an extreme Sinhala nationalist line on the Akkareipattu incident. This anomaly between the daily Divaina and weekend Divaina is also reflected in the carefully guised, but equally pernicious differences of reporting and bias between the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Times of the Wijeya Group.
On the whole, while State owned newspapers tried to water down the incident and tried to show that the situation was under control, the private owned media took to the other end of the spectrum and reported the incident with inflammatory headlines and reports.

Page 12
1. Journalism's Roles
Four weeklies supporting the JVP and the SLFP axis all portrayed a doomsday scenario during this incident and did not report the Tamil perspective at all.
Open Question There is a very real sense of hopelessness amongst those who are engaged in media reform that the situation in Sri Lanka is too complex and convoluted for any real change to take place. Ideally, the news media should serve as a forum for constructive debate involving a wide spectrum of opinion.
But the question is, is this possible in Sri Lanka? Given the historical antecedents, the concretized mindsets of editors who are not keen on change and reform, and the deeply conservative nature of ethnic ownership, it is not impossible to think that media in Sri Lanka will continue to be tri-lateral, disturbingly ethno-centric and divisive.
The problem facing journalists in Sri Lanka is how to protect their independence when the world around them asks them to follow strategies and ethics which bind them to the path of good journalism.
No path or method is value neutral. And yet, the imperatives of journalism — accuracy, fairness, impartiality
FIGHTING IN THO
BU DYING IN COLOMBO
F ighting still raging in Thoppigala Jungles. Prabha
sends 100 fighters to overcome Karuna. Page 1 banner headline in Divaina Jun 16 "Karuna captures East after chasing away Wanni Tigers. Prabha's 80 and Karuna's ll fighters dead during the last 3 days. Pitched battles continued till last evening." Page 1 banner headline of June 17 Divaina, "Heavy fighting between Prabha and Karuna factions to capture Thoppigala. Arul Rajas Camp destroyed. 75 dead and causalities numbering another 100."
Page 1 banner headline of June 16 Dinamina. "Ramesh killed or defected to Karuna faction -Jaffna people confused."
Page 1 headlines of June 17 Dinamina "Pottu Amman succumbed to injuries after a boat explosion. Colombo LTTE leader Suresh among the causalities."
Dinamina Same day

Media Monitor
and reliability — bolstered by the freedom of expression, speech and information and open government provide the backbone of democratic pluralism. However, the multiplicity of voices in the media should not become a cacophony of half-truths, and must avoid the ills of rabid ethnocentrism and tabloid sensationalism.
Media reform has also to be looked at holistically. Inextricably entwined with the impetus for media reform should also be the enabling framework of legislation regarding the right to information, the right to speech and the journalists right to freedom of association. A piecemeal approach to media reform, neglecting the wider canvas within which such reform takes place, is short sighted and will not lead to any real change.
There are of course no easy answers to address the issues regarding the contesting hegemonies of the press in Sri Lanka. The media in Sri Lanka, as media anywhere else, will always be characterised by a combination of all the factors flagged above, and it is up to forward thinking individuals, journalists and civil society interventions to help the media develop a more positive, trans-ethnic and unifying role than it has in the past.
PPIGALA JUNGLES
JT NEWSPAPER OFFICES
"Fighting aggravates among Karuna & Prabhakaran cadres in Thoppigala. Deaths on both sides around 100"
Lakbima Page 1 headline June 16 "Bombs thrown at Tiger Convoy. Pottu Amman, Suresh and Kaushalya among the group"
page 1 Banner headlines Lakbima June 17 Lankadeepa and Daily Míi f'for', which are Wijeya Publications gave no prominence to this news item. The Swarnavahini news telecast reported over 100 persons killed. The Island of June 16, a Publication of the Upali Group did not publish this news item. In its June 17 issue it appeared as a small news item Pottu Amman died due to bomb explosion
Daily News did not report the incident. Instead it published two news reports on discussions between the LTTE and Gowt forces.
In Thinakaran of June ló, a Lake House publication, this item appeared as an insignificant news item.

Page 13
Media Monito
Colombo based Tamil dailies such as Virakesari Thinakku rail and Sudaroii, reported no such clash. The Sri Lanka Army released no bulletin on the incident. Also the Eastern Army Commander did not officially confirm any such major clash.
The LTTE website Tani inet quoting reference to LTTE statements reported that the clashes in the East is a story concocted by the government.
In summary, stories such as Heavy fighting in Thoppigala jungles, Karunas capture of east, death of 100 fighters, death of Ranesh and Pottuannan, are creations by the newspaper offices for consumption by its Sinhala readers. The English Newspapers of the same establishments failed to report these 'major clases".
Need not the Sinhala editors at least give thought to the situation? Such attempts at misleading their readership, the majority Sinhalese, through sensationalized news stories not only run counter to media culture but to social values as well.
None of the Sinhala newspapers which reported the Thoppigala incident revealed the source of their story.
Is not the reporting of such a serious situation, without questioning the source, an act of misleading the readership?
Mass media's prime responsibility is to the truth. Secondly, it is to the right of the citizen to be told the truth.
The Sri Lanka Editors' Guild Code of Practice reads:
Editors and reporters should make every feasonable attempt to verify the truth of their news Stories before being published. Whenever they fail to do so, it should be mentioned in the news report itself. These newspapers have observed the code of practice in its breech.
Let us see how these reports had indicated the source:
“Reported from East- Dinamina To what mass media could "the East' be the source?
Government owned Dinamina quoting intelligence sources reported. Ramesh defected to Karuna Another source to Dinamina was Sources in the North and East. There too the cat is out of the bag
*Sources indic but the sources are **Un confirmed Lakhina stated.
It added that t actual situation ar according to the Al These reports i barrel appeared Karuna faction web the Sinhala newspap this fact was h readership.
At last it was r called “Major Clas creation by the Si
themselves.
The army aut officially that only
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and as a resul to impress the Sri Lanka’s e the country?
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said 100 fighters lc failed in this duty to public.
The Sinhala new tactic to dupe the under the guise of: Throughout the w were specific in th LTTE was at the r the Sri Lanka Arme end it was an e scenario
Why is it that th papers fail to impr the country's ethn people? Is it not bec to journalistic ethic: nationalistic sentin

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Page 14
Journalism and cor
The power ol Almostall socie Usually, a fair-min tribunal - is given au The decision is res. accepted, the confl Many professic negotiators and sch violent conflict. The it is Within a fami. across borders - ce1 not end by itself.
One of the mos sides in a conflict t This is where good
Journalism’s
Professional jol accurate and impart is reduced.
There are sewer deliver, automatica
1. Channelling
The news media: exists between side broadcastintimidat through the media
2. Educating:
Each side needs reconciliation. Jour as its politics or p demands for simpli
3. Confidence
Lack of trust is suspicion by diggin fear. Good journali: giving examples fro
4. Correcting in
By examining a
the media encourag reducing conflict.

Media Mornitor
nflict
"Conflict sensitive journalism handbook" CPA - IMS publication
f the media
ties have developed ways to regulate conflict without violence. ded person - a village elder or a judge or an international (thority by the community to decide how to resolve the conflict. pected by everyone. If the decisions seem unfair and are not ict may become violent.
anals, such as counsellors, community leaders, diplomats, olars, have been thinking deeply about what it takes to end a se professionals have discovered that in any conflict - whether ly, between neighbours, among groups within a country or tain things must occur for the conflict to end. Conflict does
it important things to take place is communication. For two o move towards a non-violent resolution, they must first talk.
journalism comes in.
unconscious roles:
urnalists do not set out to reduce conflict. They seek to present ial news. But it is often throughgood reporting that conflict
al elements of conflict resolution that good journalism can lly, as part of its daily work:
communication:
a is often the most important channel of communication that is in a conflict. Sometimes the media is used by one side to ing messages. But other times, the parties speakto each other or through specific journalists.
s to know about the other side's difficulty in moving towards nalism which explores each side's particular difficulties, such owerful interests can help educate the other side to avoid stic and immediate solutions.
building:
a major factor contributing to conflict. The media can reduce g into hot issues and revealing them so there are no secrets to
sm can also present news that shows resolution is possible by mother places and by explaining local efforts at reconciliation.
misperceptions:
nd reporting on the two sides misperceptions of each other, ges disputing sides to revise their views and move closer to

Page 15
Media Monito
5. Making them human:
Getting to know the other side, giving them names and f: step. This is why negotiators put the two sides in the same rool also does this by putting real people in the story and
describing how the issue affects them.
6. Identifying underlying interests:
In a conflict both sides need to understand the bottom-line interests of the other. Good reporting does this by asking tough questions and seeking out the real meaning of what leaders say. Good reporting also looks beyond the leaders interests and seeks the larger group interests.
7. Emotional outlet:
In conflict resolution, there must be outlets for each side to express their grievances or anger or they will explode in frustration and make things worse. The media can provide important outlets by allowing both sides to speak. Many disputes can be fought out in the media, instead of in the streets, and the conflict can be addressed before it turns violent.
8. Framing the conflict:
In a conflict, describing the problem in a different way and launch negotiations. In good journalism, editors and r( looking for a different angle, an alternative view, a new insi attract an audience to the same story. Good journalism can he for the two sides.
9. Face-saving, consensus-building:
When two parties try to resolve a conflict they must call supporters. By reporting what they say, the media allows lea conduct face-saving and consensus-building, even reaching to in faraway places.
10. Solution-building:
In a conflict, both sides must eventually present specific p. to grievances. On a daily basis, good reporting does this by a parties for their solutions instead of just repeating their rhe Good journalism is a constant process of seeking solutions.
11. Encouraging a balance of power:
Conflicting groups, regardless of inequalities, have to b given attention if they meet the other side in negotiations encourages negotiation because the reporting is impartial an attention to all sides. It encourages a balance of power for the grievances and seeking solutions.
 

aces, is an essential m. Good journalism
Wisiting Manirasakulam giving the other side a voice
can reduce tension sporters are always ght which will still lp reframe conflicts
m the fears of their ders in a conflict to refugees and exiles
roposals to respond sking the disputing toric of grievances.
Good journalism is believe they will be a COIStant ... Good journalism process of
d balanced. It gives purpose of hearing seeking solutions.

Page 16
|4
Editor's View
A newspaper is among the most powerful
media in today’s World. Every sentence there, is pregnant with meaning. If something incorrect is published in any newspaper, it could harm the character of an innocent person. It could defame his character. Therefore it is the obligation of all journalists to be responsible for every word that appears in print.
However the breach of journalistic ethics is a common phenomenon these days. Why does this happen? There are many causes for it.
The young journalist who enters the world of
media today is not possessed with a clear understanding of journalistic ethics.
In Sri Lanka, there is no formal media-training institute to train aspiring journalists. What is available are the private journalism CSS conducted by individuals. Though it is true that eminent journalists lecture at these courses, the novices do not get a formal media education from any of these
COS.S.
Though SO universities also grant degrees in journalism, it is debatable whether students get any proper education from these courses either. In this context it is no Wonder that there are instances of breach of journalistic ethics by youngjournalists.
Breaches of journalistic ethics in newspapers are mainly found in the reports sent by provincial journalists. Provincial journalists are also not a body that has received a formal training in journalism. Their
knowledge of ethics is meagre. On the other hand the provincial journalists also face difficulties when they go in pursuitofrequired information. This also could be a factor in the breach of journalistic ethics.
It seems that provincial journalists often have to act in submission to certain powerful persons. Sometimes these are local politicians or else some other persons who occupy an influential place in civil
WHY
JOURNALIS
VIOLA
society. Therefore the provincial journalists are on their guard not to provide detrimental information about such persons. Some even take the opportunity of writing news stories favourable to such persons. In this atmosphere media ethics are violated in a serious manner.
Breaches of journalistic ethics in newspapers are mainly found in the reports sent by provincial journalists
Today journalism too is caught up in the current social trends and has been cast adrift. With the proliferation of newspapers

Media Mornitor
Siri Ranasinghe - President, Editors” Guild and Editor-in-Chief, Lankadeepa.
ARE
TIC ETHICS
ATED
the competition among them has also become acute. In order to face this competition squarely some journalists seem to publish what the reader demands. In such cases instead of making the reader aware of the truth and the reality, that he sees clearly before his eyes, some journalists have come to address the readers emotions instead.
Another reason for the breach of journalistic ethics is the difficulty that exists to get information in our country. As a journalist makes an effort to get at the news, there are other groups that try to obstruct him. This oftenhappensin our country. When information exposed by the newspaper is harmful to the good name or position of a certain individual, that particular individual strives to conceal that news. In this fashion, the journalist who tries to dig out the information might even be tempted to act unethically at
times.
With increased competition am Cong
newspapers some media organizations are even prepared to market gossip whose veracity cannot be established. Sometimes these news stories are totally
defamatory.
There is also the phenomenon of some journalists working according to their own agendas and repeatedly
attacking the same person. In this process everything about a person will be dragged into the open. Sometimes this information is wrong. Even though the individual concerned later corrects the information given, some media men are reluctant to publish such corrections. In doing so they deny the right of reply.
The problem now arises whether we can’t prevent the breach of ethics by journalists. Given the present situation it looks a formidable task. But what must happen and what one must take measures to ensure is to uphold the code of ethics and develop a media culture beneficial to both the nation and society.

Page 17
Media Monito
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O ne of the most important tasks that journalists face is to write about people who are unlike themselves in fundamental ways. Whether a source is of another ethnicity, religious faith, sexual orientation, social class, or economic status, the role of the journalist is often to convey accurately that person’s perspective, ideas or worldview even when the differences are profound.
In areas like South East Europe, where social and ethnic divisions have ripped apart the fabric of numerous communities, achieving that goal can be particularly elusive. It is not, however, impossible. And if journalists wish to
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Page 18
Press Conference by LTTE - Diversity needs all view points.
to interview representatives of that group and include their perspectives in the piece. Otherwise, they are the objects of the article rather than the subjects. No article should criticise an entire group of people without offering members of that group an opportunity to present its own point of view and respond to accusations.
Be careful in your use of words and expressions.
Words have a great power to hurt as well as to heal. Careless use of language can increase ethnic and social tensions, even if that is not what you mean to do. Be aware of how members of a minority prefer to be called in the language in which you are writing. Albanians refer to themselves as Shiptars, for example, but when used in Slavic languages this is considered a derogatory word.
As you gather material, try to recognise any biases
or prejudices you may have. Of course you will have your own opinions, but part of the role of journalism is to question your own and society’s preconceived ideas. Many of the beliefs held by one group about another are based not on facts but on stereotypes, although often the stereotypes include an element of truth. For example, some gay men are effeminate (as are some straight men) but most are not.
 

Media Mornitor
Be careful when you use phrases like "as everyone
knows' or 'it is evident that'. This sort of expression is usually the way journalists introduce their own biases or those of their own social group, and whatever it is that everyone knows is as likely to be false or based on prejudice as it is to reflect a real understanding of the facts of a particular situation.
Most situations involving conflicts between social
groups are complicated. Both sides generally have legitimate complaints and perspectives, and presenting those perspectives fairly and accurately is an important part of the journalist's role. Try not to present difficult social questions in black-and-white terms.
Including people of different backgrounds is not just a question of fairness and balance. It is important for the media from a business perspective as well. Many media outlets limit their potential audience by presenting only the perspective of a single group. If they make an effort to expand coverage to highlight other communities, they can also expand their audience at the same time.


Page 19
Media Monito
Take care to provide some context for the events you are covering. Ethnic, religious and other social struggles do not arise out of nothing. Usually there is a long history of conflict, with each side differing widely in its interpretations of the past. Before you can fairly present the material, you must understand what has come before and then you must decide how much of the past you need to include for readers to grasp the essential points.
Find unusual ways to write about the issues. Spend / a whole day with a homeless person, a lesbian or a refugee to understand what their lives are really like. What are their hopes and fears? Do they conform to your stereotypes or not? If a social group objects to the use of a particular word to describe its members, explore the history of that Word. What associations and ideas does it communicate when it is used? Why do people object to it? Why do members of another social group continue to use it?
Cultivate sources in other communities. Find people who are willing to keep you informed about what members of their social groups are thinking about, talking about, worrying about. Make contact with non-governmental organisations that represent these communities and ask them what aspects of their lives have not yet been covered. Ask them to keep in touch with you about political, social, economic and other developments that you might not otherwise hear about.
Case Study
AGAIN THE SA
Reporting crime is "out of bounds' to the journalists, states the International Media Federation. Reference to an offenders race, religion of family in a manner prejudicial to him, is an offence failing under media crime. The Editors' Guild of Sri Lanka in its Code of Ethics has underlined the need to avoid reference to race, religion, caste, sexuality; etc., unless it is directly relevant to the news story. It is however surprising that the Lankadeepa, the Editor of which is a member of the Editors Guild, is in the habit of observing this practice in the breach.
In news stories where members of the Muslim community are involved, reference is always made to “a Muslim couple" "a Muslim" or 'a Muslim woman" where the incident has по сотесtion with the person š race.
The Lankadeeepa of September 7, (Page 19) carried a news item on an aileged sexual abuse of a child as follows: "Muslim principal on cash bail of Rs. 105,000/- in alleged child abuse"
The word Muslim is irrelevant in that the alleged offence had nothing to do with his race. Cash bail in the sum of Rs 105,000/- too is misleading since the actual

Besceptical. Check facts. You should not accept at face value everything that you hear, whether it comes from a member of your own or another community.
Remember that everybody you talk to or interview has a point of view and a particular interest. You need to take their perspective into consideration, but you need to balance it with what you hear from others and what you can observe
on your own.
Do not treat ethnic and other minorities as monolithic. Eventhough it may look from the outside as if all members of a community have a single perspective, life is never simple. When one group views another as acting as a solid entity, it can greatly exacerbate tensions by feeding the perception that others are to be feared. Talk to as many people as possible within other social groups and present a range of views in as nuanced and clear a manner as possible.
Many people have strong negative feelings about /') different social groups. Just because some authorities, politicians, clerics, and others may use offensive terms and expressions when discussing minorities, this does not mean you are required, as a journalist, to include this sort of insulting language in your material. If necessary, paraphrase their words. If you decide to quote them directly, you should mention that members of the minority being discussed consider such language to be insulting and inflammatory.
AME MISTAKE
cash bail is only Rs 500/- while the remainder is personal bail. This news item further mentioned the name of the school as well as provided a clue to the identity of the Student victim.
When reporting child abuse cases, it is not only ethical but also human on the part of the media not to divulge the identity of the victim. In the circumstances the news item is not only replete with racial prejudices but also violates the accepted nons of reporting cases of child abuse.
The same page carried a heading "A person posing as former Kotte Mayor apprehended". It however takes care not to say, "A Sinhalese who posed as a.... "
Similarly the news item that appeared on page two read. "An Israeli national remanded in alleged theft of a bicycle". What is the nexus between the Israeli nationality and the alleged bicycle thefi? This is unethical as per the Code of Conduct of the Editors Guild.
Much care has to be exercised in publishing news reports if we are to attain professionalism in our discipline. Otherwise the media may loose respect and creditability in the eyes of the public.


Page 20
Asoka Jayawardana
A report in the Lakbinta of January 28:
"Armed gang shoof dead police officers in presence of thousands and remove revolver.”
The news item says that at apprximately 7.00 p.m. on January 26, two suspicious characters who had followed two policemen. had stabbed one officer and run away with his revolver.
According to the report armed gang can mean even two persons. Armed means merely with a knife. No mention of any other weapon. Nothing is mentioned about the thousands who were watching.
A report in the Dinamina of January 28 :
"It was a Tiger suspect who shot the police constable at Welawatta”
The report says that it has been revealed that the relevant two suspects were LTTE cadres.
According to this report the revolver had been snatched after the shooting. The report further says that the two suspects had come to Colombo to assassinate some person in Colombo.
A report in the Lakbima of January 28 (Page 1 lead) : "Tigers stab police constables with knives, snatch their Weapons'
The report says that after intense interrogation the police had found that it was the tigers who stabbed the police constables.
They (the Tigers) had been sent to Colombo by their intelligence chief. According to it the procuring of Weapons to attack the officers who work against the LTTE, had been assigned to them.
It is suspected that the house they were hiding in was a safe house of the LTTE.
A report in the Divaina of January 28 (Page 3):
"Tiger intelligence cadres snatch police fire arms after shooting and causing serious injuries, at Weilawatta.”
The report says it has been revealed that the two suspects in custody are prominent members of Tiger intelligence wing.
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Media Mornitor
According to it, it was only in the morning of January 26, that instructions had been received by then to rob the police of their firearms.
According to this report police suspect that these two had come to Colombo toassassinate some person. This was nota fact revealed.
A report in the Lankadeepa of January 29 (Page 1 lead) : "The group that came from Kilinochchi are awaiting orders. A plan to rob the banks in Colombo is bared.”
The report says that when grilled the two suspects in custody confessed of a secret plan by the LTTE to rob banks in the city and the suburbs.
It was also revealed that the LTTE had planned these robberies so as to give the idea that a gang in the South is doing it.
A report in the Divaina of January 30:
"Tigers hide their weapons in Colombo and suburbs. Police intelligence gets the information”
The report says the police after questioning the two tigers taken into custody; think that they had hidden their arms. The two suspects had told the police that they came to Colombo for robberies.
A report in the Divaina of January 31 :
"The purpose of the Tigers who stabbed the police constahies at Weilawatta was to rohhanks to raise funds to go abroad. They were disgruntled with the LTTE, they said”
This says that the two suspects were disgruntled with the LTTE and wanted to utilize the money robbed from the banks to go abroad. Mr. Nilabdeen, Chief Inspector, Mt. Lavinia police says that this was revealed after questioning the suspects.
By this last report the whole picture that Sinhala newspapers had painted since January 27, simply wanished into thin air.
There vivere af least two questions that any responsible media or journalist should have asked before reporting this incident.
1. Has the LTTE robbed Colombo banks before? 2. Was it from Colombo that the LTTE procured arms for their operations in Colombo'? Or were they sent here already armed?
In reporting any news item, particularly in the context of an ethnic conflict, raising such questions Inust be a primary character of reporting. But the newspapers which created such uproar over this Tiger Plans did not follow even the basic principles of a conflict sensitive journalism. On the other hand the information supplied by Chief Police Inspector Nilabdeen appeared only in the Divain a newspaper. The other newspapers did not correct their incorrect news items.
It is mentioned in the Code of Ethics of the Editors Guild that, The moment an editor realizes that the facts in any news item is incorrect, it has to be corrected immediately'
To show that a plan to rob banks by two LTTE defectors as a plan of the LTTE is tantamount to saying that the crimes of army deserters are the work of the Army.
The duty of any ethical journalism is to correct such errors from whatever quarter they may emanate.
E BANK ROBBERY complete reporting


Page 21
Media Monito
A statement of shared
purpose
A. fter extended examination by journalists themselves of the character of journalism at the end of the twentieth century, we offer this common understanding of what defines our work.
The central purpose of journalism is to provide citizens with accurate and reliable information they need to function in a free society.
This encompasses myriad roles-helping define community, creating common language and common knowledge. identifying a community’s goals, heroes and villains, and pushing people beyond complacency. This purpose also involves other requirements, such as being entertaining. serving as watchdog and offering voice to the voiceless.
Over time journalists have developed nine core principles to meet the task. They comprise what might be described as the theory of journalism:
1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth
Democracy depends on citizens having reliable, accurate facts put in a meaningful context. Journalism does not pursue truth in an absolute or philosophical sense, but it can—and must pursue it in a practical sense. This journalistic truth is a process that begins with the professional discipline of assembling and verifying facts. Then journalists try to convey a fair and reliable account of their meaning, valid for now, subject to further investigation. Journalists should be as transparent as possible about sources and methods so audiences can make their own assessment of the information. Even in a world of expanding voices, accuracy is
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19
Journalism. Ethics
the foundation upon which everything else is built-context, interpretation, comment, criticism, analysis and debate. The truth, over time, emerges from this forum. As citizens encounter an ever greater flow of data, they have more need not less—for identifiable sources dedicated to verifying that information and putting it in context.
2. Its first loyalty is to citizens
While news organizations answer to many constituencies, including advertisers and shareholders, the journalists in those organizations must maintain allegiance to citizens and the larger public interest above any other if they are to provide the news without fear or favour. This commitment to citizens first is the basis of a news organization's credibility, the implied covenant that tells the audience the coverage is not slanted for friends or advertisers. Commitment to citizens also means journalism should present a representative picture of all constituent groups in society. Ignoring certain citizens has the effect of disenfranchising them. The theory underlying the modern news industry has been the belief that credibility builds a broad and loyal audience, and that economic success follows in turn. In that regard, the business people in a news organization also must nurture-not exploit their allegiance to the audience ahead of other considerations.
3. Its essence is a discipline of verification
Journalists rely on a professional discipline for verifying information. When the concept of objectivity originally evolved, it did not imply that journalists are free of bias. It called, rather, for a consistent method of testing information-a transparent approach to evidence—precisely so that personal and cultural biases would not


Page 22
2O
undermine the accuracy of their work. The method is objective, not the journalist. Seeking out multiple witnesses, disclosing as much as possible about sources, or asking various sides for comment, all signal such standards. This discipline of verification is what separates journalism from other modes of communication, such as propaganda, fiction or entertainment. But the need for professional method is not always fully recognized or refined. While journalism has developed various techniques for determining facts, for instance, it has done less to develop a system for testing the reliability of journalistic interpretation.
4. Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover
Independence is an underlying requirement of journalism, a cornerstone of its reliability. Independence of spirit and mind, rather than neutrality, is the principle journalists must keep in focus. While editorialists and commentators are not neutral, the source of their credibility is still their accuracy, intellectual fairness and ability to inform not their devotion to a certain group or outcome. In our independence, however, we must avoid any tendency to stray into arrogance, elitism, isolation or nihilism.
5. It must serve as an independent monitor of
power
Journalism has an unusual capacity to serve as watchdog over those whose power and position most affect citizens. The founders recognized this to be a rampart against despotism when they ensured an independent press, courts have affirmed it, citizens rely on it. As journalists, we have an obligation to protectthis watchdog freedom by not demeaning it in frivolous use or exploiting it for commercial gain.
6. It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise
The news media are the common carriers of public discussion and this responsibility forms a basis for our special privileges. This discussion serves society best when it is informed by facts rather than prejudice and supposition. It also should strive to fairly represent the varied viewpoints and interests in society, and to place them in context rather than highlight only the conflicting fringes of debate. Accuracy and truthfulness require that as framers of the public discussion we not neglect the points of common ground where problem solving occurs.
7. It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant
Journalism is storytelling with a purpose. It should do more than gather an audience or catalogue the important. For its own survival, it must balance what readers know they want with what they cannot

Media Mornitor
Case study
SUHO A ROL - A1 TOER PUBLICATION?
Sudaroii is a Colombo-based Tamil Daily published by the Udayan newspaper company in Jaffna. Some time ago, a bomb attack on Udayans. Jaffna office was justified by its opposers on the basis that Udayan was a Tiger publication
No paper in the South has ever faced the challenges faced by Udayan over the last decade or so. It had to survive pressure exerted by various armed groups as well as the Sri Lankan armed forces and Indian Peace-Keeping troops. Amidst the raging terror; it was only Udayan that supplied at least the essential news to the public.
However; this does not mean that both Udayan and Sudaroii do not have their own political allegiance. Of course they represent the Tamil nationalist sentinents. This however does not make then LTTE publications.
"Ravaya" of June 27 carried the font page headline story "Signs of war in the North again", which claimed that Sudaroii is an LTTE publication.
This is a serious allegation by a newspaper of the status of Ravaya against another newspaper. It certainly poses grave CO2Seqliefice.S.
It is no different from Divaina which brands the columnist Taraki a Tiger agent. While making such a serious allegation, the paper failed to divulge its source. Who drew this conclusion? Was it the journalist? Or the CID? Or Sinhala nationalist propagandists? What was the basis for the conclusion?
In a country where there is an ethnic conflict the media needs to excepcise extreme care Mohen Such Serious allegations are made. They should of course proceed with any information available, pro vided that they have evidence to substantiate their claim.
The heading "Signs of war in the North again" is questionable. It appears that Sudaroii was made out to be an LTTE publication in order to justify Ravaya's claim that an explosive situation, as stated, prevailed in the Jaffna peninsular. This does not augur* well for decent reporting. When they find no stories in their arsenal, the media tends to deviate from good practices. Such "inventions” by journalists are in the long run bound to sap their credibility despite the temporary success.
anticipate but need. In short, it must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant. Quality is measured both by how much a work engages its audience and enlightensit. This means journalists must continually ask what information has most value to citizens and in what form. While journalism should reach beyond such topics as government and public safety, a journalism overwhelmed by trivia and false significance ultimately engenders a trivial society.


Page 23
Media Monito
Ashoka Jayawardene
A in "Irida Divaina" in the month of June carried a news
item under the following heading LIVES IN CANADA AND MOVES AMONG TOP BURE AUCRATS - A SINHALA TIGER IN THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY.”
Who is this Sinhala Tiger? At least he should be LTTE or its sympathizer. According to Divainas own definition he is one who betrayed his motherland, nation and religion. The news item gives the position he holds in Canada and his Colombo address as well. Anybody familiar with Sri Lanka's political scenario could easily identify who this individual is.
He is an internationally recognized professor of Constitutional Law. Does this mean the media has the right to provide the identical description ofan individual without mentioning his name but calling him a Sinhala Tiger. The report has failed to substantiate the allegations with acceptable evidence. The mass media has no right to level
8. It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional
Keeping news in proportion and not leaving important things out are also cornerstones of truthfulness. Journalism is a form of cartography: it creates a map for citizens to navigate society. Inflating events for sensation, neglecting others, stereotyping or being disproportionately negative all make a less reliable map. The map also should include news of all our communities, not just those with attractive demographics. This is best achieved by newsrooms with a diversity of backgrounds and perspectives. The map is only an analogy, proportion and comprehensiveness are subjective, yet their elusiveness does not lesson their significance.
 

21
Hate Speech
A
Sinhala Tiger!
serious charges against an individual without adequate evidence to substantiate the same.
This amounts to the rape of media freedom. The credibility of the mass media lies with its responsibility to reveal the truth whilst allowing all parties to express their views on controversial matters. It also upholds criticism being supported by facts.
The names of persons against whom allegations are being made need to be mentioned. The news report is defamatory, misleading and lacks credibility.
Neither has the paper published any document supporting the allegations nor had it named the individual, despite the lapse of two weeks.
This amounts to mass media violating the code of practice. The paper has failed to mention the name due to the lack of evidence to substantiate the allegations.
We need to think twice about the sale of newspapers with such types of news.
9. Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience
Every journalist must have a personal sense of ethics and responsibility—a moral compass. Each of us must be willing, if fairness and accuracy require, to voice differences with our colleagues, whether in the newsroom or the executive suite. News organizations do well to nurture this independence by encouraging individuals to speak their minds. This stimulates the intellectual diversity necessary to understand and accurately cover an increasingly diverse society. It is this diversity of minds and voices, not just numbers, that matters.
(Pointer institute)


Page 24
22 Best Practices
This article was short listed for the
HSZs,
LAND MINES
IDPs
PEAC
Uvindu Kurukulasuriya
Wherever the dove, koha or kovula flies It can go back to its nest But we to our homes
Cannoi reiulio esi
(Song sung to us in the Chunnakam refugee camp, by a boy named Jegatheeswaran, who had been blinded by an army bomb blast)
For two main reasons. Peace Talks have ceased provisionally. The first is the Interim Self-Governing Authority (ISGA) mooted by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The issue of resettlement of civilians in High Security Zones (HSZs) is the second. The government has already sent its proposals on ISGA supposedly as a springboard for the resumption of talks. But all relevant parties have failed to present a creative solution for the issue of HSZs.
The issue of HSZs has become prominent again due to two factors: the renewed yearning of Internally Displaced People (TDPs) to resettle in their villages and homesteads, and the continued occupation of the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) of their lands.
The LTTE has rejected both sets of proposals on this issue by Major General Sarath Fonseka, the commander of the Jaffna peninsula, and General Satish Nambiar, a foreign expert. The common allegation is that they are only products of orthodox military thinking.
The formula attached to the Fonseka solution that the SLA can withdraw from HSZs if the LTTE disarms, is not a position developed out of a peace process based on new

Media Monito
IFJ South Asia Tolerance
concepts – it is a conventional position. The assertion of General Sarath Fonseka that if the SILA Withdraws from HISZs that Will inevitably cause unrest in the South, is a possibility, but this is a political issue and not a military one.
General Satish Nambiar's claim that withdrawal from HSZs would jeopardize the equilibrium of security is also conventional military wisdom.
According to information available from the Government Agent of Jaffna 13.5% of the total population of the peninsula are IDPs. It is 80,408 persons in numbers and belonging to 21,483 families. While 2169 families pass their lives in welfare centres, 19.319 are outside. The LTTE says that the total land area reserved for HSZs is 145 square kilometres. Earlier, within this perimeter 30,386 families were settled but now there are only 286. Due to HSZsalone 24,178 families were displaced.
IDPs could be mainly categorized into two: Firstly, the people expelled from their households and villages by either the SLA or LTTE for their own safety, secondly the people who escaped through fear of war. Ethnically. IDPs consist of both Tamils and Muslims.
The reality of HSZs can be understood if one travels in the area. Last Week I was able to do an excursion to these areas – Tellippalai, Keeramalai. Palali, Valali, Kankesanturai. It was the result of a workshop on Media Sensitization on Conflicts organized by the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Jaffna. Any traveller through the HSZs who sees the destroyed properties and agri-lands of the Jaffna people would be dejected. Speaking in real terms, there is


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Media Monito
Patiting to return... (Sabarpathipiliai refigee camp - fina)
no justification in maintaining such a vast area of land, it could be reduced by redemarcation. LTTEJaffna area leader Ilamparithi emphasised to us that they do not attempt to force the SLA or createa dispute with it over the issue. And neither do they claim a complete withdrawal from HSZs.
There exists an inevitable clear inter-relationship between state security and human safety. In real terms, the government has failed to protect its citizens. No government has the right to declare null and void the right of its citizens to resettle in their villages and homesteads in the name of security per Se.
I wish to recount another sad experience. When we were heading towards Keeramalai we saw a playground with puppets here and there at the periphery. Some were sitting around the tables having alcoholic drinks and some were focusing on the pitch. Three puppets were operating a video camera. We were puzzled.
On our return, the soldiers were playing cricket on the ground. We realised what was going on when we saw a soldier rearranging the puppet video cameraman. There were no spectators for their cricket in this vast vacant space -
 

23
therefore lifeless puppets instead of living spectators. I was deeply distressed by their state of mind! * Truly, we could restrict these W boundaries. Former air force 7 chief Air Vice Marshal Harry Gunatilleke after a mission says: “My personal observation is that there is a space for further | Z. A contraction of the HSZ. The HSZ 'A from Pallali to Tellippalai is 32 kms. I am of the opinion that there won't be a grave security danger if we reduce it.” (Lankadeepa, January 2003).
Secretary of Defence Austin Fernando, in an interview with me, said that he does not believe that existing boundaries should prevail exactly as now. That was in November last year, but no creative solution has hitherto been found.
Without looking through the glasses of conventional warfare, couldn’t we transform these HSZs into Peace Zones under the continuous astute scrutiny of international monitors' Couldn't we build up an environment where neither SILA nor LTTE could carry arms within these Peace Zones
However, a repeated query lurked in my mind throughout
the journey; even after the withdrawal of SILA, after a transformation of HSZs into Peace Zones, would IDPs be able to speedily resettle in them?
What will happen to the Muslim people who were forcecibly evicted from their homesteads by the LTTE in 1990? This issue is not related to HSZs. According to S. A. C. Mubeen, the President of the Organisation of Displaced People of Jaffna, approximately 6000 families were settled in the areas known as Moor Street, Hijra, Hussenia, Mosque Street earlier.
Since 13 years has now passed the number might have increased. Some Tamils have occupied 176 houses out of 6000 houses. While some of them claim that they have taken up residence in the Muslims houses because their own homes are in HSZs, the rest put forward multiple unconvincing reasons.
Even if by discussion with the LTTE arrangements are made to evict those Tamil settlers, assistance is needed for restoration of the houses in order that Muslim IDPs may resettle. But the government hasn't shown any concern about
Continue 27é


Page 26
24
Inte
HISZ....
this so far. The Muslims must be assisted to restart their lives. There are no schools for the Muslim children. It is thus clear that the issue of resettlement has other dimensions apart from the question of HISZs.
The second query is regarding landmines. Even if HSZs are relaxed and the way paved for resettlement, it is futile without a proper demining programme. For example, though 1000 acres have been released to the people out of the previous 3000 acres of Thankilappu HSZ, original settlers are reluctant to occupy the area. Using this opportunity, mediamen and securitymen in the South propagate the idea that people are not keen to resettle in the released land, seemingly as a LTTE combat strategy.
In real terms, this type of reportage is nothing but ethnic-driven sentiment. These media-men haven’t disclosed about the landmines infesting the
纽T总ä。
It is acknowledged that demining is not a simple job. It needs enormous resources, it is like picking up scattered seeds of paddy with utmost care. To obtain these resources as assistance from outside both the government and LTTE should abide by the internationally accepted covenants on landmines. The government of Sri Lanka has hitherto neither ratified nor even announced an undertaking on the Ottawa Convention on Landmines. Since it is not recognized as a state. the LTTE couldn't sign the Ottawa Convention, but it can sign the Geneva Convention. Anyway the international community has announced that until these agreements are signed they are not prepared to release even a dime in addition to funds already given. But no responses being forthcoming from either party yet.
From all this what emerges is that an initiative shunning military strategy and concentrating on the humanitarian needs of people is vital in relation to the issue of resettlement of IDPs in HSZs. And if we are unable to reach a consensus over this issue inevitably it affects the peace process. Citizens from North Walikamam area have asked the Tiger chief Prabhakaran by letter not to participate in Peace Talks if the government is not willing to address the issue.
A petition signed by about 350 people living in Thankilappu area has been sent to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) saying they are ready to commence a fast-unto-death campaign if the issue is not addressed. And we should realise that media practices which do not grasp the difference between the humanitarian needs of ordinary people and the politicians of the country will aggravate the conflict but not solve it.

Media Mornitor
national Federation of Journalists
Declaration of Principles i on the Conduct of Journalists
This international Declaration is proclaimed as a standard of professional conduct for journalists engaged in gathering, transmitting, disseminating and commenting on news and information in describing events.
1. Respect for truth and for the right of the public to truth is the premier duty of the journalist.
2. Inpursuance of this duty, the journalist shall at all times defend the principles of freedom in the honest collection and publication of news, and of the right of fair comment and criticism.
3.The journalistshall report only inaccordance with facts of which he/she knows the origin. The journalist shall not suppress essential information or falsify documents.
4. The journalist shall use only fair methods to obtain news, photographs and documents.
5. The journalist shall do the utmost to rectify
any published information which is found to be harmfully inaccurate.
6. The journalist shall observe professional secrecy regarding the source of information obtained in confidence.
7. The journalist shall be aware of the danger of discrimination being furthered by the media, and shall do the utmost to avoid facilitating such discrimination based on, among other things, race, sex, sexual orientation, language, religion, political or other opinions, and national or social origins.
8. The journalist shall regard as grave professional offences the following:
o plagiarism;
o malicious misrepresentation,
a calumny, slander, libel, unfounded accusations,
acceptance of a bribe in any form in consideration of eitherpublication or suppression.
9. Journalists worthy of the name shall deem it their duty to observe faithfully the principles stated above. Within the general law of each country the journalist shall recognise in professional matters the jurisdiction of colleagues only, to the exclusion of every kind of interference by governments or others.
(Adopted by 1954 World Congress of the IFJ. Amended by the 1986 World Congress.)


Page 27
Media Monito
FUNDAMENTALISM
AND
THE DENAGAMA ARTICLE
D enagama Siriwardena is an experienced journalist and a skilled writer of our times.
Recently the Silumina published a lengthy article of his, titled “The confessions of a Buddhist who escaped from a fundamentalist.”
This article is about a Buddhist who had been a member of a fundamentalist Christian sect for a while. It reveals the ruthlessly aggressive manner in which these groups impart their belief. The article, written in the endearing style of Denagama Siriwardena, will definitely succeed in rousing anger among Buddhists.
The article was published at a time when both religious sects of this nature and mainstream churches were being attacked. The President and the Prime Minister had denounced these attacks as acts of fundamentalists and asked that these perpetrators of violence be brought before the law.
Under such circumstances it is unfortunate that the cautiousness and balance that we would expect from a humanitarian writer like Denagama was absent from this article.
His article makes referces to many leaders of these fundamentalist sects. However, the ethnicity is mentioned only of those leaders who are Tamils. This too is done in a manner whic is likely to stir feelings of rage, such as The Tamil pastor spoke in anger.....expecting to convert 65,000 Buddhist villagers into our religion....” Ismentioning the ethnicity of the pastor
called for in this preaching religion b Why is it that the et leaders had not bee The article reye the prayer houses o Is this necessary'? . circumstances, if tl to be attacked, wou journalist also accomplice to such Mille Collins” rac a similar role in the
It is apparent in Mr. Sisira had ob 100,000, from th Denagama has noti returned this mone was it or was it no should have made 1 In a society, W mutual fear and dis over several years, for any comment exaggerated and recognition.
To a person observed the medi past years it would media is a part of th partner in the proce This is common to language media tha on the lines of ideol Would it noth better if this artic. explosive topic W incite feelings of subjected to scr

25
Conflict Coverage
Religious sensitivities are deep rooted
situation? Is he because he is Tamil? hnicity of the other in mentioned als the locations of f this religious sect. Inder the prevailing nese places happen ldn’t Denagama the be an indirect an act? Did not the lio of Rwanda play Rwandan genocide. his confession that rtained about Rs. is sect. However, nquired whether he y. As a journalist, t necessary that he his query? ihich has lived in strust of each other it is quite common or statement to be distorted beyond
who has keenly a usage during the be apparent that the le conflict and nota 'ss of its resolution.
Sinhala and Tamil thave been divided ogy and ownership. ave been so much le, which is on an "ith a tendency to anger, had been utiny under the
following guidelines of mass media ethics
Are the facts of the article true, honest, accurate Has the Writer verified his
facts and sources
Have all those mentioned been treated equally What is the guarantee that this article would not promote ethnic or religious prejudices? What is the guarantee that the article would not
mislead the reader The requirement of giving an opportunity to all parties to voice their opinion - a fundemental requirement in good journalism - is not fulfilled in this article. When writing on a controversial topic, it is imperative that the article be impartial and well balanced.
If the writer had spoken to all the relevant parties and allowed room for their opinions, the reader could have formed a complete picture for himself. Had the opinion of the civil and religious leaders in Kandy been obtained, and the fundamentalists had behaved in the manner described, this fact would have been brought out while
minimizing any detrimental effects the article could have.
منبع སྤྱི་
&m፩ శ |- "్వ 窓 శ P-ー
8 P-ー ---- ーふ学 . 'k-
8 P-ー క్లి |漆 శ s * یع &m፩ 逸 تنة ནགས་
:- @ పt వ پن$- ー。 "E -용
.
3. 5.


Page 28
28
.
JVP Propaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa, EPRLF member, former PC membe MP Vent duwe Dhammaloka involved in a serious discussion at a forum of politica zations against political killings and abductions, held at the BMICH yesterday. Gen. ly formed Karuna Amman's party Tamil Ealam United Liberation Front T. Rajarat Weerawansa. Pic by Manoj Ratnayake
...SOme
Ommissions
and
Commissions
~
Y-~
POLITICS does indeedma Dhammaloka Thero, JWP Pri. Liberation Front, the recently hands to protest against LTT a campaign against the killin:
Tah -
བ། 《ཆོས་ e་བ་མི་ of Political Parties a civil
agaimmist Polities அது
и
දේශපාලන ඝාතන හා පැහැර ගැනීම්වලට් විජේහි දේශපාලන පක්ෂ හා සි sMSseeMMMssL sLMMT sseLLS eLeekekee 0 ss TMMSeLMMeMMLML TTess
ekT eT TTTTTTTe TMMMeTS SLLL LSLLLL kTLesLseeTS eeTeeSee LLeeseee ݂ ݂ · ෆළ උරුමයේ මහ ලේකම්, පාර්
శ్రీ రిటెర్బిలి @ూరిgలి
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Media Mornitor
Ar-Thurairatnam and JIHU li parties and civil organieral Secretary of the newna mis at the left of Mr.
One Event:
Different Pictures
On 29th October an anti LTTE coalition was established in Colombo. A sinhala national socialist JVP and some of its front organisations, Sinhala Buddhist MEP, Eelam People's Revolutionary Party (Wardarajah faction), Eelam National Democratic Liberation Front, Karuna group became partners of this coalition.
Y
kestrange bedfellows. This picture shows JHU General Secretary, Ven. Uduwe Ipaganda Secretary Wimal Weerawansa and T. Rajaratnam of the Tamileelam United formed political party headed by former LTTE Eastern Commander Karuna, joining E killings during the meeting of political parties at the BMICH on Friday (29) to launch is by the LTTE. Photo by Ashoka Fernando
Lanka: The conference organised by political and civil organisations against political killings and abductions was held last 29th at BMICH. Many political party leaders including JVP Propoganda Secretary MP Wimal Weerawanse, Hela Urumaya General Secretary Uduwe Dhammaloka thero were present at the meeting.


Page 29
Media Monito
...One Event:
Different
Pictures...
Divaina The Conference that was organised by political and civil organisations against Wanni Tigers political killings and abductions was held yesterday 29th at BMICH. The picture shows Hela Urumaya Secretary MP Uduwe Dhammalokathero talking to JVP MP Wimal Weerawanse.
ܠ ܓ݁ܶ6 ܐ བརྗོད།
ஆா
ni שירש ציטוט משש ש3=x +gnש3-4יש-בשרשנם ששייטש שס8ם שיט לסרטס. בש ש55 נייט 1
கணித (30 பி (22 ) பங்கெே.
TTA STTeA S S qeA T TTqu S qe S Se q eqeqeTT Seuee T Ts Sss sses ee S S S KS ඩ්ෂීට් ලෝෂ හිමි සහ ජීවිශේෂ පාර්ලිමේන්තු මන්ත්‍රී විමල් විද්‍ය ය. ඔහත ) සෙස -
¬ ܣܛܝ ܢ ܒܘܗ | − : 55 433 8 சம அது கசக் கசி
--
 
 
 

27
ဖွင့္ပင္လန္တိ- :Hင္တီထြက္႕ႏွင့္ -
(
A FEW
QUESTIONS
A journalist is shot dead in broad daylight' - What is the question you pose with regard to this piece of news?
Journalist AiyathuraiNadesan was killed in Batticaloa on May 31. What are the questions you asked yourself?
The first question many asked was whether Nadesan was an LTTE man. The second question was whether he was killed by Prabha's faction or Karuna's faction. But how many of us asked why he was killed? Whether he was a sympathiser of the LTTE or Karuna's faction, or whether he held independent views? He was killed for what he said and wrote.
The freedom of expression cannot be abolished because of anybody's individual politics. What we should have questioned was the denial of this right.
What really rankled most of us was his body being draped with an LTTE flag and the LTTE's active participation in organising the funeral in the Wanni, and not the fact that he lost his life for exercising his right. The reason for this is that we look at things not through a human rights view point but through the tinted glasses of racism.


Page 30
28
Conflict Coverage
KANDAPOLAS
“Wedi ka nasihi” (Get themselves shot and killed) - This was how the main news item, about two estate employees who died as a result of being shot at by the police during the ethnic riots in Kandapola, was framed in a Sinhala daily.
Around eighty shops were damaged as a result of this clash. A town, which usually trades around a hundred kilos of vegetables, was completely shut down for three days. Relations between the Tamils and Sinhalese in this town, which had a majority Tamil community, deteriorated. There was room for these clashes to Worsen. These were the circumstances that prevailed When this news item was published.
The phrase “We di ka nasi thi” (Get themselves shot and killed) reads as though they invited the shooting. Had it been phrased differently as in Wedi Wadee Nasithi” (Killed by being shotat) it would mean that this was not something they brought upon themselves. The phrase “Wedi thaba mara damathi” (shot and killed) would mean, killed by some other person or persons.
Why would the Editor have decided to use a phrase such as “Wedi ka nas ithi” as a front page headline of the newspaper? Was it following a proper investigation into the killings of these two estate employees? Had the two killed
Such reportin Statement that media are not resolution ( conflict but pa disharmon
CO
turned out to be Sinhala, how would the Editor have phrased this?
When reporting on ethnic clashes, a question that journalists should ask themselves would be, whether these reports would cause pain of mind to any of the parties involved. Further, whether such reports had done justice to all parties concerned. The reason is that causing such pain of Imind or injustice could lead to
၈၉၉5)၉ 65டுகிலி
|පොලිසියේ-හමුදාවේ 5
a) G.
 
 

Media Monito
SHOOTING
One story, two interpretations
another round of clashes. Should there have been such sensitivity, it would have been quite easy to frame this headline in a way that would not hawe harmed the newsworthiness of the article it self.
g confirms the the Sri Lankan partners in the of the ethnic rticipants in the y among the unities.
Reports on the Kandapola incident published in the Sinhala and Tamil newspapers differ from each other. The
Tamil newspapers reported that 52 shops were damaged
கந்தப்பொல கலவரத்தைக் கண்டித்து
implying that the greater harm was caused to the Tamil community. The Sinhala newspapers imply that what happened in Kandapola was mainly due to the riot caused by the Tamil estate employees. Further the accident between a three-wheelerand a bus, which all Sinhala newspapers portrayed as the reason for the start of the clashes, in retrospect proved to be a gross exaggeration.
Telling the truth to the public as well as respecting the right of the public to know the truth is the main responsibility of the media. What Would hawe been the reason for different truths to be reported to the Sinhala and Tamil people'? Such reporting confirms the statement that the Sri Lankan Inedia are not partners in the resolution of the ethnic conflict but participants in the dish armony among the communities. O


Page 31
Media Mornitor
here were two forms of rule in T Europe during the time newspapers were emerging as a medium of communication. One was the Monarchy and the other the Catholic Church. When newspapers began to expose the activities of these two branches of society the people naturally raised questions. Faced with a crisis these two organs of power reacted
by introducing censorship.
They wi intentionally In other wor
would evolve
informed. I
errors made
them. The Wic it and comple formed with t
THE AIM OF THE
NOT THE LAW BUT
They enacted various
laws for this purpose. The 3ܪ * newspapers that questioned ■ or criticized the Monarch or the Church were even Λ punished at times. When Sam Wijesinghe
newspaper publishing became an industry, calling
for large investments, big companies took up the challenge.
Press Complaint Commission is an organization government. It is a kind of registered
connected with the
company formed by the newspaper publishers, editors and other sections directly connected with the print media. Its role is to receive complaints about newspapers, investigate them and offer remedies. We take steps to solve problems within a very short period.
Our hope is that we might help journalists to cleanse themselves. There are some journalists who when offered a drink and asked to publish certain news items, comply with such requests.
Chairman of Press Complaints Commission
decisions of the responsib recommendat
same as their own objectiv We arenc anything on Complaints achieves after a large sum of come to the C
money can application of Which of for the peop country shou

ll have to correct these
committed errors themselves. ds a much better journalism . Also society would be better in fact we cannot go after the by newspapers and rectify timized party must be alert to in to us. The Commission is he intention of creating a self
PCCIS
JUSTICE
regulatory mechanism for the press through the agreement of newspaper publishers, editors and media organizations. The purpose of the commission will beachieved only if these organizations honour the
the Commission. Therefore, ility of the press to execute the ions of the Commission is the responsibility to achieve their
S. st an organization that imposes others. The Commission for
is not a court. What one going to courts and spending money is the law. Those who 'ommission and spend a little get justice done, not the the law. That is the difference.
these two is more suitable is le. The newspapers of this ld decide.
(Based on an interview)
PRESS COMPLAINTS
COMMISSION
IMAP (ORTANT IN DIES (OCTOBER 2003– OCTOBER -2004)
NUMBER OF
COMPANTS
RECEIWED
240
The violated ethic
75%
ACCURATE REPORTNG
The violated ethic
20%
GENERAL REPORTINC
& WRITING


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Media
ler CAbeno Preš se NGONGAONG (cou
 

on if ournalist exist tion overty or fear