Condemns attacks on journalists
SAFMA
Sri Lanka appeals for balanced news media coverage
The South Asian Free Media Association,
with national chapters in all SAARC countries, is a grouping of journalists
with a social commitment to devote their profession towards full democracy and
development. On the basis of our concern for our own Sri Lankan society we have
noted the relatively low coverage of the recent social-religious clashes and
the on-going tension in the country among our various communities.
As veteran media professionals, we are
aware that most media houses had sent reporting teams to the riot-hit areas
very early as the violence began to escalate. The new expressway enabled quick
deployment of media teams to the affected area thereby ensuring coverage of
incidents from an early stage of the unrest. Despite the availability of the
information gathered by the media personnel, there has been a stark paucity of
news coverage of what is the single most significant and newsworthy situation
in the country today.
We find that there is a public perception,
both locally and internationally, that the Sri Lankan news media are
under-reporting the current anti-Muslim social unrest. There are also reports
of informal pressure applied by the Government on media managements not to
report the violent incidents in Aluthgma and Beruvala areas. This
under-reporting of actual violent events and causal incidents, contributes to
the spread of untruthful and biased information through means of social media
networks and public rumours.
SAFMA Sri Lanka has received complaints of
physical harassment and intimidation of journalists in the field covering the
incidents and condemns these attacks. It is possible that informal political
pressures as well as the general atmosphere of long-time political intimidation
of the media have contributed to the low-key publication and broadcast of
reports on this communal unrest. The journalistic community both here and
internationally, has a long and proud tradition of bravely resisting pressures
and daring to report every socially important incident, especially situations
of injustice. We should not be deterred by these pressures.
SAFMA Sri Lanka thus calls on all Sri
Lankan journalists and media houses to fulfil their patriotic duty and
responsibility by observing the highest standards of socially responsible and
non-sensationalist reporting of the current situation of communal tensions. The
Sri Lankan news media is challenged to ensure accurate and balanced coverage of
events and incidents relating to the current social clashes and thereby help
create better public awareness of actual issues which, in turn, will counter
the rumours and deliberate allegations by unpatriotic elements to provoke
suspicion and hostility between socio-religious communities.
SAFMA-SL extends it fullest co-operation in
all efforts by the Ministry of Mass Media and also by relevant civil society
groups to manage a comprehensive flow of information to the public in a manner
that would ensure maximum awareness and minimum mis-perception and provocation
among the general public.
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