Media and Political Reporting in Sri Lanka

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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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?



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





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




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

News & Politics

Media and Political Reporting in Sri Lanka