News
Coping with challenges of new-found media freedom
View(s):The Government last week claimed credit for restoring democracy and ensuring media freedom, post January 2015. President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, on two separate occasions, reiterated the achievement of the Yahapalana administration, and contrasted this with the situation that prevailed prior to January 2015, when several journalists were killed and some others had to flee abroad, in the face of threats to their lives.
In New York, the President pointed out that the transformation that took place after his Government had assumed office, had established democracy and freedom, while no journalist had been attacked or forced to leave the country during the last three-and-a-half years.
Speaking at the 20th Anniversary of the Colombo Declaration on Media Freedom & Social Responsibility, the Premier echoed the President’s sentiments and highlighted the achievement of the Government in restoring media freedom. He went on to state that he was the most abused person in the media today but, paraphrasing Voltaire’s famous statement, went onto say, “I will defend till my last drop of blood is shed, your right to abuse me.”
Few will disagree with the Government’s claim to have restored the democratic space for the free expression of views, even to the extent of the Premier being personally vilified in an unprecedented manner, without fear of reprisals, although several Joint Opposition (JO) spokesmen often claim that Sri Lanka is now a Police State.
Yet, the newly established media freedom has brought about several challenges, both for the media as well as for the Government. After being subject to several years of repression, where they were not able to exercise their right to hold the Government to account or, express views contrary to the policies of the State, the media is struggling to exercise its freedom with responsibility.
It goes without saying, that the main source of information for the citizenry to make informed decisions in a democracy is the media. The media, therefore, plays a powerful role in, not only informing the public, but also a powerful role in shaping public opinion
With such power comes the responsibility to ensure accuracy when reporting facts, just as well as to ensure that opinions are based on facts. The media has also the duty to ensure that social values are upheld by highlighting expressions of such values through actions of public personalities of integrity.
One example of the powerful role that media can play in showcasing the national values is in the reporting of corruption, which is one of the most debilitating diseases that affect our polity. When the media gives undue publicity to the corrupt and their pronouncements, it gives respectability to corruption.
This would apply to individuals who have been indicted on charges of corruption, who, if made to look like heroes by the media, can lead to the normalisation of corruption in the eyes of the public and more particularly, in the eyes of the young.
While it is true that every man is presumed innocent until found guilty, it is also true that, when the Attorney General indicts an individual, he is doing so after satisfying himself that there is sufficient evidence, if proved in a Court of Law, to convict him of the offence charged. The media needs to take cognizance of this fact.
It is often observed that individuals before Courts on charges of corruption, are often the loudest in accusing others of corruption, with the media, either giving them undue prominence or giving them platforms on talk shows, to boost their images. This would tantamount to giving a boost to the image of corruption.
Another example of the misuse of media is the case of the alleged plot to assassinate the President and the former Defence Secretary. Any plot to assassinate two high profile individuals like the aforesaid, is a serious matter and needs to be investigated thoroughly.
But, why would anyone in possession of such material choose to release it at a Press Conference, rather than report it to the relevant authorities. And why would he do so using the cover of a so called anti corruption organisation, which has never been heard of before, and using the high sounding title of Director of Operations.
The media does not seem to have understood the need to probe the use of such theatrics. The individual concerned, even if he wanted to release such information at a Press Conference, could have done so simply as Namal Kumarage, rather than one holding the fancy title of Director of Operations.
It transpired a few days later that he was a police informant, and the reason for clothing himself in the garb of an anti corruption activist, could have been to lend himself credibility.
The Joint Opposition not surprisingly called on the Government to arrest DIG Nalaka Silva on the mere say so of Namal Kumarage even before it could initiate an inquiry. The Government for its part seems to have done the correct thing in first conducting a preliminary inquiry after which Minister Madduma Bandara recommending to the National Police Commission that DIG Nalaka Silva be sent on compulsory leave in order to facilitate an independent investigation.
The JO keeps saying that no investigations are being conducted on the allegation, despite it being very clear that investigations are ongoing. This is where the Government has to be more active in keeping the public informed, as to the steps being taken to investigate the alleged plot. Otherwise, there is the real likelihood of the public being misled by Opposition propaganda, as in other fields.
Government should probably, hold daily Press Conferences to keep the public abreast of the steps taken and make sure the message reaches the public. They should also be raising the question as to the lack of investigations by the JO when they were in power, with regard to the killings of Lasantha Wickremetunge, Wasim Thajudeen and other journalists as well as the disappearance of Ekneligoda and the attack on Keith Noyahr.
These are questions the media too, should be asking at Press Conferences conducted by the JO.
While the Government can justifiably claim credit for restoring media freedom, unless it takes sufficient democratic steps to counter the abuse of such freedom, it will only pave the way for the death of media freedom, by facilitating albeit unintentionally, the setting up of a regime that does not believe in democracy or media freedom.
(javidyusuf@gmail.com)