268 complaints received, says Press Commission

by Nadira Gunatilleke

The Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL) has received and followed up on 268 complaints and communications during its first 14 months. Out of them 245

complaints have been resolved and 23 unresolved. This was announced during the launch of the annual review of the PCCSL at its premises in Colombo yesterday. The most commonly violated clause of the Code of Practice of the Editors' Guild as per the complaints received is related to inaccurate reporting. The number of complaints is 181.

PCCSL Dispute Resolution Council Chairman Sam Wijesingha said the media plays a very important role in fostering democracy.

"The duty of journalists is to ensure that people receive news. If not, democracy will not exist. The media should make sure that the people know what they are voting for," he said.

"Yours is a duty towards the public. Nobody can be perfect. You make mistakes. But whenever you do, apologise immediately. Some people may not appreciate your work but you should carry out your work," he added.

Council Member Siri Ranasinghe said it is easy to work in the PCCSL because journalists themselves inquire about complaints. Establishing the PCCSL is a significant event in the journalism history of Sri Lanka. A council has been appointed to review the Code of Ethics and this is an important step towards ensuring the right to reply, he added.

Council Member Dr. Devanesan Nesiah, Chief Executive Officer, PCCSL, Manique Mendis and Consultant PCCSL S. Dammulla also spoke. Complaints Officer, PCCSL, Ameen Hussein presented the Annual Report to Wijesingha.