Power of media and rule of INFORMATION

Speech delivered by Charitha Herath, Secretary, Mass Media and Information Ministry at the workshop attended by Provincial Correspondents in the Kalutara district:

The rule that information should be subjected to a certain level of regulation has been accepted in the history of newspapers. Prof Sunanda Mahendra de Mel is more competent to provide evidence in this regard for I am much junior to him in the field of university education. What I wish to explain is that we all use a common space in society whether in a newspaper, radio or television. To explain it further when you raise a voice individually it is heard over a small distance. But when you raise a voice through television it is heard by the whole country.

The idea of regulation was socialized due to the order that if the frequencies and the space allowed for all to hear, read and see is not regulated it can cause positive as well as negative effects on society. But regulation has two facets. That means the relevant newspaper institution or you the writers can write and bring on your own. That is called 'self regulation'. If the individual performs that project in a lawful manner in keeping with the country's laws protecting its culture and without causing damage to the privacy of the other person, a need for regulation does not arise. As such this problem is found in regulation as regards the media.

The Sri Lanka Press Council was established as an institution for the systematic regulation of the behaviour of the print media.

Press Council

As such when a newspaper is started in the country the Press Council has the legal powers to register it. As much as you have the right to write as you please the Press Council has been empowered to address if such writing caused some harm to the general public. Similarly this institution has been empowered to train and improve the knowledge of newspapers and the journalists. That is what the Press Council is trying to do through programmes of this nature. Then you are aware that the area called newspapers today have enormous powers.

As journalists in the village if you write something about public officials such as the SP and the GA who are present here today it will have a great impact on them. What I mean to emphasise is that this area called the media has great powers in any country. Similarly there is an enormous wealth in the media. Sometimes you yourselves may not have such wealth. But the media is today a powerful enterprise. Therefore because it is a sector which has enormous powers and wealth it can cause danger to society if it is used irresponsibly. If the power and wealth is used according to a code of conduct it can bring enormous knowledge to society.

What I am trying to say is that you as Provincial Correspondents have the power to intervene for the existence and maintenance of State institutions, NGOs and small enterprises in your area. Similarly your media institution too has enormous powers.

Therefore we should come to an agreement regarding our responsibility. If not there may be confusion and disputes in society. Similarly our media institutions don't have much concern about these Provincial Correspondents. You are fully aware of this situation.

Technological tools

I feel that it would be good if the Department of Information and the Press Council come together to bring the group of Provincial Correspondents under an integrated programme. That is because these people don't have that much of connection as the in-house reporters and journalists commanded.

That is why some people do not properly evaluate their service. Then there are people who had remained Provincial Correspondents throughout their lives. There are certain people who had joined this while engaged in some other job. But there are a large number of people who had been Provincial Correspondents as their profession.

Therefore we should have a close contact like this. I hope to take more practical steps in this direction in future. There are many challenges which you in the media have to face today. Earlier our first challenge was the nature of a certain incident. But now it is somewhat different. Today the challenge is the speed of reporting an incident rather than the nature of it.

Today there is a question about the time and speed you have taken in reporting the relevant incident. This is a problem arisen as a result of the whole world being exposed to the media. As such the speciality about the incident we had today has become a clash between the time taken to visit the place of the incident and the time taken to report it to the media. Therefore, speed becomes a major factor of your programme of work.

Earlier when there was an incident you take down notes about it and go home and write on another paper and post it. Then it gets published in the paper the next week. This process takes about one and a half weeks. But today the incident is published from the village itself through SMS. Therefore, speed has become a major challenge.

The other factor is that we should have the technology to match this speed or challenge. I am happy to state that many correspondents today took pictures using digital cameras. Earlier a separate photographer had to come or the story had to be published without the photograph. What I am trying to emphasise is that we should have a technological connection which can bear up or match that speed. One part of it is the digital camera you possess and the ability to type it fast, email or fax it or send it to head office by some other means. We should have the literacy, knowledge and strength of technological tools and equipment.

Awareness programme

As the Ministry of Mass Media and Information we take great effort to provide this technological co-operation. It may be recorders, laptops or cameras we can strengthen you by providing them. The Ministry of Mass Media and Information always endeavoured to take positive decisions.

The other important factor is ‘relationship'. One is the political leadership in this area. The network of relationship established with the state and security sector leadership in this area is very important.

Similarly the relationship with the head office is very important. There is a big transaction among these relationships.

Therefore as media persons you should be specially concerned about speed, technology and relationship which have newly entered the media process.

Then clear presentation is very important not only regarding language. Please engage in this profession in a praiseworthy manner. Do it as a service and a profession by taking special strength.

Therefore, we recognize Provincial Correspondents as part of the Ministry of Mass Media and Information. We will make the necessary intervention in this regard in the future.

We hope to work with the Press Council, the Department of Information and other institutions to band you into a professional group and establish a relationship with your profession. Similarly you have the strength to continue your profession better with satisfaction and strength. We will continue to lend you the necessary support and co-operation in future.

I wish to conclude my speech by inviting the Press Council to expand this awareness programme countrywide and requesting you to make use of this workshop to resolve your problems and issues.

(Translated by D. P. Wickremasinghe)