media and political reporting in sri lanka
DESCRIPTION
A presentation made during a lecture to students at the Sri Lanka College of JournalismTRANSCRIPT
Media & Political Reporting in Sri LankaSanjana Hattotuwa
Statistics
Modes of Information in Sri Lanka
Media and conflict
Media and Conflict
• In most cases of long term conflict, media becomes part of the conflict and not part of the solution.
Media and Conflict
What a jackass !
We must have more balanced coverage
There is nothing wrong
with our editorial policy !
There is nothing wrong
with our editorial policy !
I feel left out…
What the hell is going
on?
What the hell is going
on?
Every single person here has
a different perspective
Why am I the only woman here?
Truth?
Media and Conflict
• Lack of professionalism/ journalism training
• Most of the newsrooms in Sri Lanka are monolingual.
• Lack of diversity.
• No democracy in the newsroom.
• Polarization of newspapers on ethnic lines
Media and Conflict
• Self-censorship of Editors
• State owned media has been a political tool of the governing political party
• Lack of professionalism even in private media
• Lack of training / Existing training not up to industry demands
How do we perceive facts?How do we perceive facts?
Modes of Information
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Modes of Information
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Modes of Information
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Case study
• On 9th October 2002, a clash took place between a few hundred people and the
Special Task Force (STF) Army Camp in the East of Sri Lanka, in a place called
Kanchamkuda.
• Some persons among the group attacked the camp with stones and tried to enter
and destroy the camp premises. They wanted the camp to be removed.
• On this particular day, according to LTTE sources, two of their members had been
assaulted by STF personnel, a charge which the STF denied.
• The LTTE undoubtedly helped mobilise the mob against the STF camp.
• Unable to stop the agitated mob from entering the camp after using tear gas and
rubber bullets, STF personnel opened fire using live ammunition, killing seven
people and injuring 14 others.
English Newspapers
• Four killed as mob attacked STF camp – Premier orders
full probe (Daily Mirror, Wijeya Group)
• LTTE storms Akkareipattu STF Camp (The Island, Upali
Group)
Sinhala Newspapers
• Gun fire at a group who tried to storm in to a STF camp – 6 dead.
5 STF injured as well (Daily Lankadeepa, Front Page 3 column,
Wijeya Group)
• Four tigers dead after clash in Ampara – PM orders commander
to investigate (Divaina, Front Page 3 column, Upali Group)
• Group which attacked STF Camp shot at. Six dead. 27 injured.
PM Orders a probe (Lakbima, Front Page 2 column, Sumathi
Group)
• Military leaders dispatched to investigate Akkareipattu incident
where two persons have died. (Dinamina, Front Page 3 column,
Lake House)
Tamil Newspapers
• Four dead as STF fires into a hartal. 14 injured. Potuvil LTTE
leader accuses STF (Virakeseri)
• Seven people dead, 15 injured due to STF firing in Thitukkovil
– Ranil orders probe (Thinakkural)
• Seven dead, 16 injured due to STF firing into a peoples rally
in East (Suder Oli)
• Hartal in Kalmunei, tires in Akkareipattu burned to protest
STF action – PM orders immediate inquiry (Thinakaran, State
Owned)
Observations
• Not even a single Tamil language newspaper used the
‘stormed’ or equivalent.
• News reports of privately owned English newspapers had the
STF firing into a mob led by the LTTE
• State owned newsprint tired to water down the incident and
tried to show that the situation was under control
• Private owned media took to the other end of the spectrum and
reported the incident in with inflammatory headlines and
reporting.
Different worlds
Mob Storm Attack Clash
Hartal People Rally
Truth?
Objectivity?
Accuracy?
Impartiality?
Responsibility?
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Editorial Positions - March to August 2004
Content selectionContent selection
021786Other
021804Development
Related
041603Human Rights
000714Peace Talks
151012Refugee Issues
111818Civilian Issues
050933Arrests (War
related)
365278Actual Combat
English Newspapers
Tamil Newspapers
Sinhala Newspapers
Type of Report
021786Other
021804Development
Related
041603Human Rights
000714Peace Talks
151012Refugee Issues
111818Civilian Issues
050933Arrests (War
related)
365278Actual Combat
English Newspapers
Tamil Newspapers
Sinhala Newspapers
Type of Report
Elections Reporting
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2004 General Election coverage
Lack of professionalism/ journalism training
Most of the newsrooms in Sri Lanka are monolingual. Lack of diversity.
No democracy in the newsroom.
Polarization of newspapers on ethnic lines
Self-censorship of Editors
State media is responsive to conflict sensitive reporting but lacks political credibility
Public Service Journalism values
Media in the
public interest
Training and capacity building
Journalists who adhere to
professional guidelines
Public awareness
Readers, listeners and viewers able
to react against bad journalism
PCCPCC
Serving the individual
citizen
Sustaining, defending national culture and
cultural diversity. Fostering democratic
processes.
Enhancing social, political and cultural cohesion.
State Private
Media roles in Conflict Transformation
Framing and defining the
conflict
Encouraging a balance of
power
Identifying the interests underlying the issues Channel of
communication between
parties
Confidence-building
Counteracting misperceptio
ns
Face saving and
consensus-building
Analyzing the conflict
Media Roles in
Peacebuilding
Process Events
Media as a shared space
Media as a shared space
Media as a shared space
Media as a shared space
1. Women need to be more visible at the
higher decision-making levels
2. Awareness-raising on gender -
especially editorial and management
levels
3. Give women agency
4. Represent women’s agency
Engender media
Thank You