Towards media excellence

South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) Sri Lanka Chapter

107, Obeysekara Town, Rajagiriya, Sri Lanka Tel/Fax: 0094 11 2872849 Email: safmasrilanka@gmail.com Website: www.southasianmedia.net

June 19, 2014

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 senior 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 pressure applied by the Government on local media managements not to report the violent incidents in Aluthgma and Beruwala areas. Due to these circumstances we fear it can lead to spreading of untruthful and biased information through means of social media networks.

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. Nevertheless, 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. SAFMA Sri Lanka thus calls on all Sri Lankan journalists and media houses to fulfil their patriotic duty and social responsibility by observing the highest standards of socially responsible and non-sensationalist reporting of the current situation of communal tensions. At the same time the Sri Lankan news media is challenged 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.