Media should act with responsibility- Minister Rajitha Senaratne

Idma Dissanayake

The media has the capability to prop up corrupt and dishonourable people as heroes or character assassinate good and clean individuals. Therefore it is important on the part of the media to act with responsibility and according to media ethics, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said.

The minister was addressing a function to distribute spectacles at the Ceylon Buddhist Congress auditorium. This function was organized by the Sri Lanka Newspapers Association to distribute spectacles to media personnel under the Madya Saviyata Neth Pahana project.

The Sri Lanka Newspapers Association is one of the oldest mass media organizations in Sri Lanka and they have organized the "Madya Saviyata Neth Pahana" project with the sponsorship of the Kandy Optical Company. As the first step of this project they have distributed pairs of spectacles to 248 media personnel and held an eye clinic for 312 media personnel.

The Sri Lanka Newspapers Association hopes to hold this programme in every province.

They have spent over Rs one million for the first phase of this project.

"Both politicians and journalists should have a correct vision. Bad vision of politicians and journalists have caused so many problems in society. Because of that all of us should have a correct vision to lead the country on the correct path. We all should extend our support to President Mahinda Rajapaksa to make Sri Lanka the Wonder of Asia," the minister further said.

Mass Media and Information Ministry Additional Secretary L D C Jayasinghe,Information Director General Prof. Ariyaratne Atugala, Information Director Wasanthapriya Ramanayake and Sri Lanka Newspapers Association Deputy Chairman Narendra Rajapaksa also participated.