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Minister Dullas laments credibility deficiency in media world over
By Saman Indrajith
Mass Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma says the media all over the world are facing the issue of credibility deficiency.
Addressing a ceremony to mark the 67th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Press Association at the Sri Lanka Foundation recently, the Minister said that credibility loss was not a problem limited to one or two countries.
“Credibility of the media is at question owing to three main issues among others. Not only as the Minister of Mass Media but also as a citizen I see these three causes that harm the credibility of the media. Integrity of the media is lost when the journalists are compelled to stand for the whims and fancies of the media ownership. This is a problem faced not only by the state-owned media but also by the privately-owned media. The former may try to uphold the government in power whether it is blue, green or red while the latter try to defend the interests of their owners, or to stand for the political and business interests or image causing the loss of balance. The second cause of losing credibility is encroachment of privacy of persons by the media. This is a main reason behind people questioning the credibility of the media all over the world. The third reason is reporting news based on attitudes, hypotheses and hunches rather than facts. When the foundation for news is not facts but the attitudes dished out as news, the media loses people’s respect. These are the three main reasons for the loss of integrity of the media globally.
“My stand could be countered by showing ratings and circulation figures. But, you have to remember that people’s trust or respect can never be measured by the rating cards or circulation figures. You cannot match economic assumptions with the aspects of the media. The rationale of economics is primarily based on supply and demand theory which cannot be generalized to be applied for the media culture. Those are two different things. One may say that they have the highest ratings and highest circulation but that does not mean they command the respect of their viewers or the readers. The media industry today is facing a crisis because of the attempts to mix it with the needs of supply and demand. In that sense, the media profession and political profession are both the same because the Constitution may have a clause stating that such an institution is supreme, the people would not accept it so. People know that the constitution says so but they do not accept it as a supreme institute or respect it for that. There is a huge difference between respect and fear. I was once a journalist, now my profession is politics. What I have observed is that both in these two professions have mixed up the connotations of respect and fear. People may have fear for the politicians but not respect. Some people have fear for the media, but the media should never misunderstand that fear as respect which should be earned and comes not from the same path of the fear. For example, circulations of newspapers have decreased world over. It is common truth for all the papers including the New York Times to the newspapers in Sri Lanka. Yet, there is no decrease in respect for the print media,” the minister said, adding that maintaining that respect is of utmost importance.
“That cannot be achieved by the laws, rules and regulations. It cannot be achieved by censorship. Every government that attempted to control the media using coercive methods has ended up in the dustbins of history,” Minister Alahapperuma said.
Minister Alahappermua was the Chief Guest at the 67th anniversary convention of the Sri Lanka Press Association (SLPA). Five senior journalists, Sunil Daya De Alwis, Sarath Cooray, Arthur U. Amarasena, Chandrika Wijesundara and A.C De Silva, were felicitated at this ceremony for their service to journalism in Sri Lanka.
President of the Association, Silumina Editor-in-Chief Dharman Wickramaratne, Patron of the Association, Muditha Kariyakarawana and General Secretary of the Association Kurulu Kariyakarawana were also present.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
