Journalism Awards for Excellence - 2006 (Organised by the Editors’ Guild and the Sri Lanka Press Institute):

Journalists must lead public on correct path - Dr. D. B. Nihalsinghe

Mohammed Naalir

COLOMBO:Journalists must lead the public on the correct path by contributing factual news, Dr. D. B. Nihalsinghe said.

Speaking at the journalism awards ceremony at the BMICH organised by the Editors' Guild of Sri Lanka jointly with the Sri Lanka Press Institute Dr. Nihalsinghe said journalists have a major responsibility. "A huge and aggressive competition prevails among institutions and people for power and position", he said.

Nihalsinghe said he closely observed the life of journalists before he entering into journalism as a newsreel cameraman in Associated British Pathe and United Press International.

He said as we celebrate excellence, it would be appropriate to reflect the values that the excellence is obliged to uphold. The role of journalist is to simply record and report events.

What is the truth? The famed film Director Akiaro Kurasowa in his classic Rashomon said truth lies in the eye of the narrator, there is no intrinsic truth as such.

Journalists have restrictions on presentation they can not present whatever they view or desire, he added.

Journalists also have a responsibility in identifying and classifying factual news items. They also have the responsibility to help in eradicating corruption and bribery.

Generally excellence of the profession prevails whether awards are won or not.

Dedication enables the profession to deal with challenges and overcome those.

Excellence has a direct link to resolution of the challenges faced by journalists today, he said.

He said it is only through a continued pursuit of excellence the profession can celebrate their role and make a meaningful contribution to the future direction of the country.