Comments on: A malicious “patriotism” and its impact on media and journalists

By: Malinda Seneviratne

Malinda Seneviratne — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 08:06:28 +0000

Dear Cash: I don’t live in the West. I’ve been writing to newspapers for the past 15 years and have been working as a journalist for the past 8 years.
Dear NdM: I agree with you totally. My contention was, however, more about journalists and their self-image.
P.S. to my earlier comment: These are not great times, but they are certainly nothing like 88-89; in terms of media freedom AND the right to live.

By: Shanil

Shanil — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 10:10:21 +0000

I agree with you Janaka. But all that said, it doesn’t validate the suppression of those views. As biased as they may be in different ways, it still beats a solitary viewpoint….that of the state. Conflict of interest as I mentioned in my previous post. At least with a patchwork of media …the diligent few can, as you say..read between the lines. Triangulation as it were…but viewing different sources/angles.

By: Janaka

Janaka — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 07:34:43 +0000

The Sri Lanka is full of journalists who try to discredit the government and destroy the war effort taking money from NGOs supportive of LTTE and UNP.
This is the truth. There is no independent media in anywhere in the world. They all have their masters who guide them for their personnel and governmental interests. Name single one. Who are these so called FMM try to fool.
We are in the cross roads of the war, We should all support the war effort. If there are problems in the forces there are institutions to complain like parliament. You do not need to write it all over the world.

To show how free two media institutes are , AFP and BBC. carefully read few their articles and analyse them. You do not need a genius to see their bias and opinionated style.

Understand, Present day, Media is a profession, There is nothing noble in it.

By: Shanil

Shanil — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:08:46 +0000

I believe there is wrong-doing on both sides but it is abundantly clear that the GOSL is manipulating freedom of expression and thought in so many ways. They use “patriotism” and “security” as rationales to justify t heir suppression of views. There will always be those with damaging points of view, with enlightened points of view and those that fall squarely in the middle….point is ..it is our right to choose…not the Govts. There is such a huge conflict of interest when a government controls the whole information flow. How can one not see that? Especially when ministers and the president himself take criticism as enthusiastically as a 5 year old boy takes a bath.

As for the press in other countries…the U.S…Israel…some often examples quoted? Are you serious? Well in the U.S. from my experience you can pretty much write anything, even tabloids in the U.K. have had to retract and apologize many a time for writing utter nonsense. I think the Dixie Chicks example was a bit out of context. They voiced their opposition to Bush, they are country singers and they found that most of their fans in middle America were supporters of the War, primarily because they had loved ones fighting the war etc… they were viewed as irresponsible and unpatriotic. The backlash was primarily due to the contrary views of the fan base. Were they prosecuted, abducted or killed for voicing their views? No? Did they consequently regain popularity and win a Grammy? yes

Of course there is no press freedom in Sri Lanka as there ought to be…we the people of the country are barely free to think and act for ourselves. There is perpetually a hand forcing us in to a particular direction, whether we like it or not. The good ol’ invisible hand.

By: NdM

NdM — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:42:58 +0000

With regard to the strain of comments which follow Malinda’s, I think the question is: how should media bias, lack of professionalism etc. be dealt with in a civilised society? if the prescriptive answer is: by abduction, torture and murder, then that is, I think, a terrible indictment on the values and culture that undergird the society. It is difficult to agree with the comments that assume Sri Lankan culture to be as decrepit as that.

By: Hermann

Hermann — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:32:36 +0000

Some seem to interprit Jurnalistic freedom is the ability to publish anything anyway without facts. Even in the US this is not possible. Dixie chics having uttered negative on Bush had to suffer consequences, and no one including the Seneators were bound by the guide lines not to stray too much away from the declared policy of the gov ernment. How did Bush and co pull the rug under the feet of Amarican People to go to war on WMD? Amarican media did cover the facts to enable these guys to do things beyond their limits. Anyway that is abuse of Journalistic freedom. However around the world there is a tendancy for so called jouranislts to favour rich and powerful over poor and less fortunate in reporting. Prbhakaran in his Hero’s speech last November specifically mentioned that he is allocating more money to buy jornalists from sourth to embarass the government. I hope MR government can get the right balance on this kind of behaviour by the journalists, either by condemning such persons and/or limiting their access to valuable information.

By: eeroppesinhaya

eeroppesinhaya — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:00:40 +0000

Problem in Sri Lanka is all media organizations are politically biased. They write what political party think it is right (even it is wrong). Make up news are always there to attack existing government because SL political parties thing to bring down governments next day after elected. Every government has a right to rule withing its mandated time frame. Some media organizations support these narrow activities of political parties.
Journalism is reporting as what it is. Make up things and add his or her view or their political party’s view to it not journalism.(They can write novels). Unfortunatly this is what most journalists are doing in SL today. All Reports should be updated later but what happen in SL is when authorities are acted upon a news item in good faith those actions are never report back to the media unless they acted badly.
Journalists should think what they are doing is for the good of the country not the political party. Presently SL conflict has grown to to the final phase. Even a moderate should understand there is no way possible a settlement with LTTE as far as LTTE cannot compromise it’s stand of a seperate country. Only way out is to defeate LTTE in order to have a country to all of us to live. If politically biased journalist thinks he should write what his party needs at this time. He is nuts!!

There are so many problems with this government but they are still with the mandated time frame and also we never get a government who fight LTTE this correctly. When we write we should be very responsible not to demoralize fighting heroes. They play with their lives while journalists play with only your pen. They are trying to make sure that everybody has a country to live. Isn’t that what we want?

By: Pravasi

Pravasi — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:31:43 +0000

The situation in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) is not different to other parts of the former British Empire. The only countries that are different are the countries like Canad, Australia and New Zealand. The majority in these countries are Anglo Sxoans. Unfortunately in others the powerfull are Indian imperialists and Colonists. The worst form of imperialism and colonialism in the human history wher colonial parasites have sucked off the hosts and still continue to do so. Take Kenya, KwaZulu, Fiji and the list goes on. It is time the victims realise their plight and fight back.

By: Jagath

Jagath — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 09:35:58 +0000

This article is [edited out]. Journalists should first think of their motherland specially when there is a war to protect her. Present day journalists are working to the agenda of their pay masters. they do not have principles. They should follow the media in USA & Israel.

By: V

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:03:45 +0000

Freedom of expression is paramount for a strong democracy. And that means, the freedom to state the truth; freedom to state untruth; freedom to be biased; freedom to condemn; freedom to say whatever you want to say. The public will decide what/who they want to listen to. But first we must have the freedom to hear them all (and that includes defence.lk rantings).