Opposition barred State media from covering its events - Minister Anura Yapa

Lakshmi DE SILVA

The Opposition political parties have been accusing the State media of unethical news coverage or not reporting Opposition news during the Presidential election campaign.

But State television crew that went to cover the very first public meeting of NDF candidate Sarath Fonseka was assaulted by Opposition supporters at that meeting, Media, Information and Investment Promotion Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said yesterday.

He was addressing the weekly Cabinet press conference at the Media and Information Ministry.

Though the Opposition said the State media did not work on the guidelines set by the Elections Commissioner during the campaign, the Opposition did not allow the State media to cover their public events. There was more than one instance during which State media persons were assaulted by the opposition parties. JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe went to the extent of threatening them, the Minister said.

He said the State owned only three or four media institutions while there were scores of private sector media.

"We used the State media to debunk the untruths given by the Opposition and to deny the false propaganda used to deceive the public but it was totally false to say that State media behaved unethically," the Minister said.

The Minister said there were also a number of websites working for the NDF candidate so that the few State media were not so powerful as the Opposition was trying to make out.

"However at the next general election if the Opposition allows the State media to cover their events we will be happy to give them coverage," he said.