DAILY NEWS ONLINE


OTHER EDITIONS

Budusarana On-line Edition
Silumina  on-line Edition
Sunday Observer

OTHER LINKS

Marriage Proposals
Classified Ads
Government - Gazette
Mihintalava - The Birthplace of Sri Lankan Buddhist Civilization

Media unity on national issues

The new Information and Media Deputy Minister Dilan Perera has assumed office on a most thought-provoking and positive note by calling on all sections of the media - whether they be State or privately-owned-to work in unison on at least matters pertaining to the common interest.

Using very telling images the Deputy Minister said that: "My endeavour as Deputy Minister of Media is to create a media that would douse the flames of discord rather than a media that sets the country on fire." While commending the Deputy Minister on his positive approach to refashioning the country's media and wishing him all the best, we call on all sections of the local media to address the issues raised by the Deputy Minister and to act positively on them.

An objective assessment of the impact of the local media over the past 25 years or so would reveal that they played a considerable role in moulding public opinion on particularly the National Question. Sections of the privately-owned media have not risen above narrow interests. This was starkly manifest in the way Black July 1983, for instance, was treated in sections of the media. Since then, it could be said that these sections of the media have played a negative role in influencing public opinion on the ethnic conflict.

In general it could be said that while the State controlled media have been restrained in the way they have treated the ethnic issue, the same couldn't be said of all sections of the privately-owned media.

While most sections of the local media have advocated communal harmony and national unity not all privately-owned media organisations have reflected a high degree of objectivity and impartiality in analysing the finer and more complex issues in the ethnic conflict. On such issues these sections betray a pronounced degree of bias and non-objectivity.

Two cases in point are power devolution and the P-TOMS agreement. While more than twenty years of war and destruction should reveal to all the futility of war as a means of resolving our conflict, sections of the local media, while not openly questioning this standpoint, have thought it best to ravenously and relentlessly criticize all earnest attempts at resolving the conflict by political means. For example, power devolution is seen as a stepping stone to a separate state and the P-TOMS as nothing less than "treachery".

Needless to say, such jaundiced perspectives would impact pubic opinion very negatively. It is easy to sing the praises of peace but what must be realised is that there is a price to be paid for peace. For instance, the legitimate aspirations of all our communities should be met if the conflict is to be contained. These aspirations should be addressed by a political solution.

Ideally, there should be a meeting of minds among all sections of the media if these issues are to be addressed constructively. They need to get away from a communalistic perspective and work unitedly on at least these national issues if they are to prove a positive force in Lankan history.

FEEDBACK | PRINT

 

| News | Editorial | Business | Features | Political | Security | Sports | World | Letters | Obituaries |

 

Produced by Lake House Copyright © 2003 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.

Comments and suggestions to : Web Manager