Sri Lanka: Government to impose media guidelines

Daily Mirror Online
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The government is to introduce media "guidelines" in accordance with media ethics to promote professionalism and the skills of journalists in Sri Lanka. However the government insists that the guidelines will not be a harsh regulatory mechanism.

Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, speaking at a seminar in Kandy today said that the government will set up a Media Development Authority in order to help media to enhance its professionalism and efficiency further, the government information department said.

Rambukwella said that the authority proposed has no harsh regulatory mechanism but guidelines in accordance with media ethic to promote professionalism and skills of journalists in this part of the world.

“What we intend is to give a professional recognition to journalists in line with other professional bodies in the country. Journalists are the unofficial agents of the masses They have the duty by the people,” the government information department quoted the Minister as saying.

“When the word ‘authority’ is used there is a general tendency the people interpret it as a regulatory body that would bring restrictions and licensing needs etc. But here it is for the well being of the augmentation of professionalism among journalism,” he said.

Director General of the government information department Professor Ariyarathna Athugala has been tasked the responsibility of making the initial draft on this new initiative, the government information department said.

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