SRI LANKA 2019 INDEX MEDIA - IREX
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SRI LANKA
MEDIA
SUSTAINABILITY
INDEX
2019
Tracking Development
of Sustainable
Independent Media
Around the WorldMEDIA SUSTAINABILITY INDEX 2019 The Development of Sustainable Independent Media in Sri Lanka www.irex.org/msi Copyright © 2019 by IREX IREX 1275 K Street, NW, Suite 600 Washington, DC 20005 E-mail: msi@irex.org Phone: (202) 628-8188 Fax: (202) 628-8189 www.irex.org Managing editor: Linda Trail Study author: Zahrah Imtiaz, Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum IREX Editing Support: M. C. Rasmin; Stephanie Hess Design and layout: Anna Zvarych; AURAS Design Inc. Notice of Rights: Permission is granted to display, copy, and distribute the MSI in whole or in part, provided that: (a) the materials are used with the acknowledgement “The Media Sustainability Index (MSI) is a product of IREX.”; (b) the MSI is used solely for personal, noncommercial, or informational use; and (c) no modifications of the MSI are made. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed herein are those of the panelists and other project researchers and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, IREX, or Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum. The 2019 Sri Lanka MSI was funded by IREX; it was produced as part of the Media Empowerment for a Democratic Sri Lanka program, funded by USAID and made possible by the support of the American people. ISSN 1546-0878
IREX Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum
IREX is a nonprofit organization that builds a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world Sri Lanka Development Journalist Forum (SDJF) is a well-established national level
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Founded in 1968, IREX has an annual portfolio of over $80 million, offices in 20
countries, and a global staff of 400. We work in more than 100 countries worldwide. http://www.ldjf.org/SRI LANKA
AT A G L A N C E
GENERAL MEDIA-SPECIFIC
▶▶Population: 21.67 million (Department of ▶▶Languages (% of population): Sinhala ▶▶Number of active media outlets: print: 20 ▶▶Annual advertising revenue in media
Census and Statistics, 2018) (Official and National Language) 74%, Tamil (daily), 50 (weekly) and 30 (monthly), radio sector: $520 Million (Nielson, 2013 – most
▶▶Capital City: Colombo (Official and National Language) 18%, Other stations: 50, television stations: 20 (Verite recent available data)
8% (est. CIA World Factbook, 2012) Research, Media and Owners Database, 2018) ▶▶Internet Subscribers: 7.13 million
▶▶Ethnic Groups (% of population): Sinhalese
74.9%, Sri Lankan Tamil 11.2%, Sri Lankan ▶▶GNI (2017 Market prices): $85 billion (Central ▶▶Newspaper circulation statistics: top five (Telecommunications Regulatory Authority,
Moor 9.3%, Indian Tamil 4.1%, Other 0.5% Bank of Sri Lanka, 2018) dailies: Lankadeepa (Sinhala): 250,000, September 2018)
(Department of Census and Statistics Sri ▶▶Literacy rate (average): 93.1% (Central Bank Divaina (Sinhala): 156,000, Virakesari (Tamil): ▶▶Mobile Subscribers: 32.05 million
Lanka. 2018) of Sri Lanka, 2018) 140,000, Ada (Sinhala): 110,000, Daily News
(English): 88,000, Island (English): 70,000,
▶▶Religion (% of population): Buddhist 70.1%, ▶▶President or top authority: President
Daily Mirror (English): 76,000 (self-reported
Hindu 12.6%, Muslim 9.7%, Roman Catholic Maithripala Sirisena (since January 9, 2015)
collected via their Wikipedia entry, 2018)
6.1%, Other Christian 1.3%, Other 0.05%
(Department of Census and Statistics Sri ▶▶Broadcast ratings: N/A
Lanka, 2018) ▶▶News agencies: Lankapuvath
MEDIA SUSTAINABILITY INDEX: SRI LANKA
SCORE KEY
SUSTAINABLE
Unsustainable, Anti-Free Press (0–1): Country does not
meet or only minimally meets objectives. Government and
laws actively hinder free media development, professionalism
is low, and media-industry activity is minimal.
SUSTAINABILITY
Unsustainable Mixed System (1–2): Country minimally
SUSTAINABILITY
meets objectives, with segments of the legal system and
NEAR
government opposed to a free media system. Evident progress
in free-press advocacy, increased professionalism, and new
media businesses may be too recent to judge sustainability.
2.03
UNSUSTAINABLE
1.96
MIXED SYSTEM
1.94
1.90
1.84
1.84
Near Sustainability (2–3): Country has progressed in meeting
1.71
1.67
1.67
multiple objectives, with legal norms, professionalism, and the
1.57
1.55
1.53
business environment supportive of independent media. Advances
have survived changes in government and have been codified in
law and practice. However, more time may be needed to ensure
ANTI-FREE PRESS
UNSUSTAINABLE
that change is enduring and that increased professionalism
and the media business environment are sustainable.
2017
2019
2017
2019
2017
2019
2017
2019
2017
2019
2017
2019
Sustainable (3–4): Country has media that are considered
FREE PROFESSIONAL PLURALITY OF BUSINESS SUPPORTING SERVING generally professional, free, and sustainable, or to be approaching
SPEECH JOURNALISM NEWS SOURCES MANAGEMENT INSTITUTIONS PUBLIC NEEDS these objectives. Systems supporting independent media
OBJECTIVES have survived multiple governments, economic fluctuations,
and changes in public opinion or social conventions.
Scores for all years may be found online at https://www.irex.org/msiT
he year of 2019 marks a decade since the end between the president and the prime minister, which has
OVERALL of Sri Lanka’s civil war and a decade since Sri existed in one form or another since 2015, has further
SCORE Lanka’s media have had to report on issues in a complicated an already difficult environment for media
1.80 country struggling to emerge from bitter conflict
that ravaged its people for more than three
decades. In the intervening ten years since the
to operate in the country. As a result, mainstream media
organizations are splitting their loyalties between the
two main political parties of the country—one headed
end of the war, the media, too, have been struggling to by the president and the other by the prime minister.
provide fair, objective and balanced news that creates Politicization of the media sector was an important
Even with a backdrop of political more opportunities for reconciliation in the post war point discussed during the MSI panel discussion,
instability, Sri Lanka’s overall setting. and the panelists agreed that this was limiting the
2019 MSI score remained at 1.80, effectiveness and independence of Sri Lanka’s media.
the same as it was the last time Last year, however, tested the integrity of the media in
State media, was used inappropriately to promote the
the study was conducted in the country, as a constitutional crisis in Sri Lanka split
agenda of the group in power during the October 2018
2017. This year, the Freedom of the media into two camps—those which supported
crisis which showed how vulnerable their situation was.
Speech objective just crossed the status quo and those who opposed it. In October
In the meantime, citizen media and alternative web
the threshold into the near 2018, President Maithripala Sirisena decided to sack
media institutions found the independence they need to
sustainable category due to his cabinet and to appoint former President Mahinda
operate in a middle ground. This crisis was also a time
continued improvement in the Rajapaksa as prime minister, having unconstitutionally
when a discourse was created for more accountability
legal framework after the 2015 removed the incumbent, Prime Minister Ranil
in the media. Various independent groups backed this by
election and the fact that no major Wickremesinghe. This led to a 51-day government
stating that “trust in media had been lost,” but whether
incidents were committed against which could not function, as Speaker of Parliament Karu
these groups were politically motivated remains a
the media in 2018. Professional Jayasuriya refused to recognize its legitimacy. As the
question.
Journalism (Objective 2) was the executive and legislature locked horns, the country came
only objective to decrease this to a standstill between who was right and wrong. The Against this backdrop of political infighting, Sri Lankan
year, which panelists attribute people saw that the media too had taken sides between media institutions are struggling more than ever
to politicization of news media, the two camps, prompting people to place their faith to stay financially afloat. Three smaller print media
self-censorship, and few resources in social media platforms for their news. However, the organizations had to shut down their operations as the
to pay adequate salaries or MSI panelists highlighted that the split in the media cost of imported newsprint spiked in the latter part of
invest in quality, investigative had also spilled over to social media, which became an the year, and some have had their financial backers
journalism. This study separately increasingly divisive place for those online. withdraw. The overall score remained the same from the
analyzed how the media serves initial MSI study in Sri Lanka in 2017 (1.80), reflecting that
the public in Objective 6, with With parties resorting to legal action against the
the state of journalism remains the same in the country.
panelists noting that the media actions of the president, the Supreme Court ruled
However, there is some optimism that as the online
tends to reflect the views of the that his appointments were unconstitutional, leading
space grows, it may provide mainstream media and
government, media owners, or to previous Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and the
journalists with an alternative source of revenue and a
the elite, rather than the concerns cabinet being sworn back in. This power struggle
venue for freedom of expression.
or needs of the general public.
5
MEDIA SUSTAINABILIT Y INDE X 2019SRI L ANK A
OBJECTIVE 1: out that journalists and civil society activists in the He added, “Soon people lose interest in the
FREEDOM OF
SPEECH
2.03 north continue to face threats and surveillance from
defense authorities when they cover stories related
process.”
Samanthika de Silva, executive producer at
to the military. He cited the example of journalists state-owned broadcaster Independent Television
In the four years since the ‘Good Governance’ who were allegedly photographed and put under Network (ITN), felt that the government has not
government of President Maithripala Sirisena surveillance for covering the Keppapilavu land attempted to curb freedom of expression and that
came into power in 2015, panelists stated issue, which revolves around military occupation of Sri Lankans are now free to express themselves
that they have seen a visible improvement in residents’ private lands, in the Mullaitivu District. For without consequence. She highlighted that the social
freedom of speech in the country, though much more than a year, residents in this area have been media sphere in particular had opened up space
is left to be desired. This was indicated in the agitating and protesting outside the military camps, for the general public and for critics, and many had
improvement of this objective’s score when asking that their lands be released back to them. turned to social media when they found no space in
compared to the last MSI study. This was also Raguram explained that many who went to cover mainstream media.
the highest scoring objective for Sri Lanka and the protests had allegedly been carefully watched Mohamed Fairooz, editor of the Tamil language
shows that the space for the media is improving. by the military and that the military were always newspaper Saturday Vidivelli, however, noted that
present at the location of the protests when media the government did step in to shut down social
The Sri Lankan constitution refers to the importance went to cover it. “This has made several people media platforms such as Facebook, Whatsapp and
of freedom of speech in Article 14 (1) which states reluctant to talk to the media openly too,” he said. Instagram during the communal unrest between
that, “every citizen is entitled to freedom of speech Arumukarasa Sabesan, senior sub-editor of the Sinhalese and Muslim groups in Digana, Kandy
and expression, including publication.” However, Tamil language newspaper Yarl Thinakkaral in Jaffna, in March 2018 in order to curb the spreading of
in the very same constitution, Article 15 restricts added that this reluctance stems from the unlimited “false news.” He observed that, while this shut
this right in instances when “racial and religious power in the north wielded by the state’s security down helped cool down tensions between the
harmony are under threat, parliamentary privilege apparatus. “The military, having run civil adminis- communities to a certain extent, it also prevented
is violated, it is in contempt of court, defamation, tration for the best part of the last 30 years, has not people from communicating with their loved ones
or is an incitement to violence.” Apart from this, the changed its mindset after the war,” said Sabesan. and sharing vital information. Furthermore, it also
country also has laws such as the Public Security In addition to this chilling effect on freedom hindered reporting on the incident.
Ordinance 1959 which allows the president to of expression, Raguram pointed out practical ineffi- Another worry lies in the government’s
declare a state of emergency at any time “he/she ciencies when it comes to implementing laws attempts to introduce a new law, the Counter
feels that security of the state is at stake.” In an such as the RTI. He explained that the government Terrorism Act (CTA) to supplement the existing
emergency, the president gains immense power, continues to be lackadaisical with language rights, Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Raguram noted
including suppression of the media. The Official and as a result, there are many delays when people that many in Sri Lanka are skeptical and worried
Secrets Act of 1955 also has the power to curb the submit their applications for information in Tamil about how national security will be defined in the
disclosure or publication of information deemed rather than in Sinhala or English. Despite the law’s CTA. The PTA was introduced in 1978 to empower
necessary for purposes of national security. requirement that a government institution supply an state security agencies to act swiftly when there
In 2016, the government introduced the Right answer to public queries within 14 working days, it are imminent national security threats; it specifically
to Information Act (RTI), but the panelists pointed often takes longer when the query is in Tamil due to prohibits the printing, publishing or distribution of
out that not all parts of the country enjoy the same a lack of translators within the system. Furthermore, information without the prior written approval of
access to information. there is a shortage of RTI commissioners and they a competent authority, and it specifically prohibits
Sivasubramanium Raguram, senior lecturer in are concentrated in Colombo, greatly inconve- publication of any issue that might incite violence.
media studies at the University of Jaffna, pointed niencing the average citizen outside of the capital. Given the opposition to this law over the years and
6
MEDIA SUSTAINABILIT Y INDE X 2019SRI L ANK A
its draconian measures, the government, when it potential government censorship, certain members The unpredictability of the situation, Dodawatta
sponsored the United Nations Human Rights Council of the public, including journalists, accept self-cen- said, is marked by the website, Lanka e-news
Resolution 30/1 in 2015, promised to repeal the PTA sorship with regard to sensitive matters surrounding being randomly blocked by the government, with
and replace it with anti-terrorism legislation more in religious or cultural norms. The best example of this no explanation. “We were not told on what basis it
line with contemporary international best practice. is the banning of the book Budunge Rasthiyaduwa was banned either. So, the culture of impunity still
Many, however, now worry that passage of the CTA (The Buddha’s Wanderings) in Sinhala in August prevails. Though the number of incidents are less
would give the government wider powers than the 2018 for having allegedly offended Buddhism and and are not that serious. There is impunity in the
PTA to suppress any dissent in the country. Buddhist sentiments. The Minister of Cultural Affairs country,” he added.
If new laws are an issue, Pradeep at the time also asked that the author, K.K. Shrinath, Weerasinghe quipped that the government
Weerasinghe—a senior lecturer in mass media at the and his publisher be arrested, though they were later is no longer using press laws to suppress the
University of Colombo and Chairman of the National released on bail. This freedom of expression, thus, is media but rather is resorting to other means:
Secretariat for Media Reforms (NSMR)—also worried very fragile and could collapse at any time. It is not The Lanka e-news website was blocked by the
about more archaic laws which have escaped sustainable, according to Dodawatta. Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC)
reform for many years and continue to be major over a licensing issue, not because the website was
barriers to freedom of expression in the country. being censored for its content. This showed that the
For example, under the Parliamentary Powers and Legal and social norms protect and promote authorities are still in the business of suppressing
Privileges Act of 1953 (amended in 1984), no citizen free speech and access to public information. information they do not want disclosed, even though
is allowed to criticize the actions of members of FREE-SPEECH INDICATORS the methods of suppression have changed.
parliament or take a politician to court over anything ▶Legal
▶ and social ▶Libel
▶ is a civil law issue;
As the discussion about freedom of expression
he or she has said in session while addressing protections of free public officials are held moved into the social media sphere, some panelists
the parliament. Further, Weerasinghe also strongly speech exist and to higher standards, were of the view that most of the outdated press
criticized the action of President Maithripala Sirisena are enforced. and offended parties laws do not matter, as social media allows the public
must prove falsity
to reactivate the Sri Lanka Press Council in 2015, via ▶Licensing
▶ of broadcast and malice. to access news and information without government
1973’s Press Council Law No. 5. This law, which has media is fair, competitive, interference. However, Jamila Najmuddin, editor
and apolitical. ▶Public
▶ information
lain dormant for many years, gives the government of the Sri Lankan News in Asia website and
is easily accessible;
wide-ranging powers when activated, including ▶Market
▶ entry and tax right of access to correspondent for Xinhua News (China), pointed out
censorship of the media and imprisonment of media structure for media are information is equally that much like legacy media, social media is also a
fair and comparable enforced for all media
personnel. to other industries. highly divided place with little regard for the truth.
and journalists.
The panelists observed that media freedom To Najumuddin, Sri Lanka now has social media
▶Crimes
▶ against ▶Media
▶ outlets have
has visibly improved in the country, resulting from journalists or media
divided along political lines, between support for the
unrestricted access
relatively few threats against the media (both in and outlets are prosecuted former regime and for the current one. She further
to information; this is
out of court) and because no major incident has vigorously, but equally enforced for all noted that journalists on social media get attacked
taken place which could threaten the freedom of occurrences of such media and journalists. by supporters from one side or the other for their
crimes are rare.
expression. Chandrasekara Dodawatta, convener of ▶Entry
▶ into the reporting. Weerasinghe added that there now are
the Free Media Movement (FMM), characterized it as ▶State
▶ or public media do journalism profession “social media soldiers,” or trolls, who support certain
not receive preferential
being “easy to sail when the seas [are] calm.” is free, and government politicians or famous personalities. “The technology
legal treatment, and imposes no licensing,
Apart from government-related censorship law guarantees editorial which had given you the opportunity to make your
restrictions, or special
concerns, Dodawatta highlighted existing censorship independence. rights for journalists. voice heard is no longer free; it now also has the
related to cultural and religious issues. In addition to tools to suppress your voice,” he said.
7
MEDIA SUSTAINABILIT Y INDE X 2019SRI L ANK A
Fairooz shared an example where a news Such requests—as journalists like Rathindra to her, they have to report within a framework, given
website known to him was blocked for a day Kuruwita, news editor of the English language daily that they are state media.
because they had published certain information newspaper Island, pointed out—can also come from Weerasinghe also noted that media owners
about a powerful politician. “Though we think that the private sector and business interests, not only often impact the editorial impartiality of news
the internet has brought more freedom, it can also the government; the private sector, he felt, had more reporting. Further, it has now become a trend for
be suppressed. The government even blocked social power to curb freedom of expression and news. mainstream media to source news stories from
media when we had social unrest in Kandy,” he said. “We are always under pressure from companies social media sources with no fact-checking in place.
to not report things. This should also be taken into Raguram remarked that the politicization of
account,” he said. news media is so severe that even the ordinary
“The technology which had given you the Overall, while there has been little improvement citizen can now easily identify the particular political
opportunity to make your voice heard is in the legal framework which hinders the freedom affiliations of certain media outlets and that their
no longer free; it now also has the tools to of expression in the country, the panelists feel that stories had become blatantly biased. This signified
the political environment provides them space to that not only state media, but even private media,
suppress your voice,” Weerasinghe said. discuss alternative political opinions, to criticize have to ensure their journalists conform to the
the government for its inefficiency, and to support interests of their owners. Sabesan explained all
Freedom of speech, in the end, comes down freedom of expression without fear of grave private media institutions have their own agendas,
to accountability said Sabesan. None of the earlier consequences. and the journalists are required to work within those
abductions or murders of journalists during the civil confines. “All journalists have to adopt the policy
war and in the immediate aftermath have been handed down by the media owners, but I think that
OBJECTIVE 2 :
resolved yet, and those who committed these crimes
have been allowed to roam free. Examples of such
PROFESSIONAL
JOURNALISM
1.67 even within that framework they can do something
positive for society,” he said.
cases include the murder of the former editor of the Lasanthi Daskon, attorney-at-law and
Sunday Leader newspaper, Lasantha Wickrematunga The quality and professional standards of Sri independent accessibility consultant in Sri Lanka,
(2009); the disappearance of cartoonist Prageeth Lankan journalism continue to receive a low questioned as a reader and as a citizen how
Ekneligoda (2010); the attack on journalist score, and this year it experienced a decline from journalists decide what information is deemed
Keith Noyahr (2008); and the disappearance of the previous MSI study in 2017 (1.71). important and what is not, within the confines in
Jaffna-based journalist Subramanium Ramachandran which they work. She asked the panel whether
(2007). Najmuddin—who had previously worked Media ownership in Sri Lanka has always been journalists think of ethics and integrity when working
with slain editor of the Sunday Leader, Lasantha controlled by the government and private owners within such a restricted environment. The panelists,
Wickrematunga—pointed out that they could not who, more often than not, are linked to one political however, insisted that, increasingly, commercial
completely feel free because his assassins have not party or the other. Unfortunately, the ownership interests and pressure from private enterprises are
been caught. “If people who murdered journalists of the media does not reflect diversity in terms of becoming more powerful than political censorship in
are roaming free, what safety do we have?” she structure and has inadequate representation of the newsroom, overshadowing ethical concerns.
remarked. She further observed that as journalists community groups. Sri Lanka does not have public Kanchana Dhasanayake, chief editor of the
in Sri Lanka they still tend to come under pressure media per se, as the state media is controlled by Sinhala language daily Ada, remarked that although
with regards to what to report and what not to, the government/political party in power. De Silva people frequently speak of censorship within a
adding, “And this pressure is not necessarily who works for the state media broadcaster said political framework, they face more pressure from
life-threatening, but these are now more in the form they needed to work to support the will of the ruling commercial interests than they do from government
of requests.” “whichever government that is in power.” According sources, asking that stories which hurt their own
8
MEDIA SUSTAINABILIT Y INDE X 2019SRI L ANK A
commercial interests not be published. He added more weight than entertainment programming, all Journalism meets professional
that as an editor he is also aware that when dealing panelists unanimously agreed that entertainment standards of quality.
with controversial topics, the likelihood of facing is given more prominence than informative
a lawsuit or being taken to the Press Complaints programming, as entertainment attracts more PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM INDICATORS
Commission is higher, and his organization is not advertising revenue and viewership interest than ▶Reporting
▶ is fair, ▶Entertainment
▶
interested in going through such long and drawn news. Daskon who campaigns for rights of those objective, and programming does
well sourced. not eclipse news
out processes to procure a news story. “It is time with disabilities, stated that it is very difficult to get and information
consuming and expensive. So, we ask our journalists media to cover social issues such as hers because ▶Journalists
▶ follow programming.
recognized and accepted
to stay away from stories which can get us into they are looking for entertainment.
ethical standards. ▶Technical
▶ facilities
trouble,” he said. There are three things that are important for and equipment for
When asked whether editors discourage media: Inform, instruct, and entertain. However, Sri ▶Journalists
▶ and editors gathering, producing,
do not practice and distributing
reporters from covering certain issues, Senior Lanka media mostly covers just politics and crime, self-censorship. news are modern
Political Writer Sanjaya Nallamperuma of the Sinhala noted Sabesan. For a country which has undergone and efficient.
▶Journalists
▶ cover key
weekly Lakbima News reported that they are asked more than three decades of civil war and multiple events and issues. ▶Quality
▶ niche reporting
not to report on news that is disadvantageous to insurrections, politics and crime are the beats most
▶Pay
▶ levels for journalists and programming
the owner of the organization, whilst Fairooz added journalists cover. At present, though, the audiences exists (investigative,
and other media
that they ask reporters to refrain from reporting have changed but Sabesan noted that the journalists professionals are economics/business,
news items that could be used, rightly or wrongly, themselves have not changed to cater to a changing sufficiently high to local, political).
in a defamation lawsuit against his media organi- and diverse group of readers and consumers of discourage corruption.
zation. Red FM’s Assistant News Editor Vaishnavy information.
Velraj, in the meantime, noted that censorship is not A common thread among all panelists when
just avoiding a topic but also reporting it in such a it came to professional journalism was the low pay
way that facts, which are seen as undermining the awarded to many in the profession. According to As salaries have been stagnant for many
owner’s interests, are left out. “At times we are asked industry reports, English-speaking journalists on years and thus unattractive to job-seekers, few are
to leave out details which can anger those in power,” average earn higher than journalists working in the choosing to enter the profession. Dhasanayake
he said. Sinhala and Tamil media. An entry-level reporter for noted that given the low salaries, they cannot afford
Dodawatta noted that, more often than not, an English-language daily newspaper would earn to hire better professionals, and thus it feeds into the
the stories on which organizations choose to report close to $110 (LKR 20,000) per month while a similar vicious cycle of not being able to produce quality
rather than what they leave out indicate their reporter in a Sinhala or Tamil daily would earn journalism, let alone investigative journalism. “When
interests and are more revealing of their own version around $55 (LKR 10,000) per month. A senior desk we can’t hire the best, the quality of journalism
of censorship. head (e.g., news editor) in English-language media drops. We also can’t spare money or time to
Kuruwita explained that given the limited could earn up to $417 (LKR 75,000) per month while undertake more investigative pieces. Thus, many
resources most media organizations have, they it would be slightly lower in the Sinhala and Tamil don’t undertake investigative journalism in the field,”
are left with little choice other than to decide what media. Print media correspondents, on the other he said.
is important to them and what is not. Further, hand, earn between $0.83-$1.38 per news item, Sanjaya Nallaperuma, senior political columnist
according to him it is hard to define public interest. depending on its length. Television reporters receive for Lakbima News in Galle, explained that most
“Everyone works according to their view of the world around $8.33-$11.11 (LKR 1500-2000) per clip while media outlets get their news from regional
and we too have to deal with that,” he said. web news reporters earn around $166 (LKR 30,000) correspondents who have to focus on quantity
In terms of whether news coverage has on average per month for their work. rather than quality to make ends meet. He explained
9
MEDIA SUSTAINABILIT Y INDE X 2019SRI L ANK A
that one correspondent may supply news to multiple OBJECTIVE 3: but for the BBC he has to find at least three sources
outlets in a day to earn as much as possible. This
also means that they are just running around to get
PLURALITY
OF NEWS
1.84 _ for his story. The media outlet and its standards
thus make a huge difference in the quality of news
whatever voice cut they can. “There is no in depth that is sourced. De Silva sharing her experiences
questioning or analysis involved,” said Nallaperuma. Given the fast pace of journalism today and in the state media observed that they simply quote
Chief Executive Officer of the Sri Lanka Press with traditional media having to compete whatever a government official or minister says,
Complaints Commission Sukumar Rockwood, who with online and broadcast media sources, the with very little fact-checking going into the story.
runs a yearly journalism awards program, noted that panelists agreed that few journalists incorporate According to her, the habit of verifying government
the state of investigative journalism in the country more than one or two sources when gathering news is nonexistent.
is reflected by the fact that for most years there are information for news stories. They argued that Raguram, highlighting a different sort of
no entries for the investigative journalism category it is becoming more important to be the first to problem, said audiences in the north are mostly
from Sinhala and Tamil language media. Raguram, report the news, rather than the most reliable. As exposed to news from southern India rather than
who is also part of the journalism awards judges’ a result, accuracy and quality of journalism suffer. Sri Lanka as cable channel operators tend to
panel, added that most pieces which are submitted Kuruwita pointed out that more often than not, monopolize the channels to which their customers
from English language media are descriptive with the number of sources a journalist approaches subscribe. Most have cable TV and they watch
no analysis. He noted that they cover topics in a for a news article depends on the time available Indian news. “So, they will know more about India
general manner. “We see no investigation done. to them. “We just don’t have the time to get than Sri Lanka,” he observed. This means that the
This is probably because journalists… are [often] not multiple sources for a news story,” he said, excessive availability of southern Indian content and
allowed to specialize in any particular field. There is further highlighting Sri Lanka’s competitive media the higher priority given to southern Indian channels
no time for that,” added Raguram. Najmudin, adding environment and its demands for generating by cable providers have limited the cable audience’s
to the conversation, explained that most journalists more content. Dhasanayake added that, with access to multiple sources of local news in Jaffna.
who want to undertake investigative journalism are the increasing commercialization of the media, The government runs two television networks,
not guided or mentored properly into it. “They come outlets have to produce news constantly to stay ITN and the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation; a
back with basic facts and no more,” she said. relevant. In the process, the quality of the news radio network, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
they produce suffers. “Many simply want to (SLBC); and a newspaper publishing house called
“When we can’t hire the best, the quality of upload something even if it is not first verified, in the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon, which
journalism drops. We also can’t spare money order to finish the job. Few verify the information publishes seven newspapers (both daily and
they get,” he said. weekly) in the Tamil, Sinhala, and English languages.
or time to undertake more investigative All panelists agreed that Sri Lanka’s state media
pieces. Thus, many don’t undertake Sabesan, agreeing with Dhasanayake, stressed that largely fails to fulfil its duty of filling in the gaps
investigative journalism in the field,” in the Sinhala and Tamil language media especially, of information not provided by private media
journalists quote sources which cater to their institutions. Further, state media is not capitalizing
Dhasanayake said. particular audience regardless of whether it provides on the opportunity it has to carry out public interest
Overall, the panelists stressed that they a balanced and accurate story. Dodawatta relating programming, which it alone can afford to do. Few
personally try their best to adhere to ethical and from his personal experience noted that a journalist private media, driven by commercial interests, would
professional standards when undertaking their work. from the regions told him that he supplies news to take up such subject matters. For example, state
However, there needs to be more guidance and both a local Sinhala media organization as well as media could educate the people on legal matters,
pressure from media institutions to insist that ethical to BBC Sandeshaya. He puts in minimum effort for knowledge of which is sorely lacking in the country.
standards are followed on a day-to-day basis. the local media outlet and writes whatever he wants, Weerasinghe said that legally all state media
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MEDIA SUSTAINABILIT Y INDE X 2019SRI L ANK A
need to follow the directives of the government in monopolize information. For example, Derana Media, a place in mainstream media coverage. The Muslim
power, since they are the major shareholders in the which started off with a news television network, community, especially, he said does not feel that
institutions. has expanded into radio, online news sites, and a their voice is given due place in the Sinhala media,
newspaper in recent years. Weerasinghe noted that which has resorted to a distorted picture of the
“We just don’t have the time to get multiple to the wider public, the topic of media ownership community. The majority of Tamil-speaking people
sources for a news story,” Kuruwita said, is a closely-guarded secret. The research and in the country (including Tamils and Muslims) in the
advocacy firm Verite Research in 2018 undertook meantime also felt that the Sinhala media did not
further highlighting Sri Lanka’s competitive a study of Sri Lanka’s media ownership, but care for minority concerns, he added. In the same
media environment and its demands for Weerasinghe pointed out that this study mainly way, he admitted that the Tamil media did not cover
generating more content. concentrated on the English language media, and the Sinhala community enough and what coverage
it was uploaded to a website many people do exists is done in a negative manner. Sabesan
Dhasanayake noted that there was a not know about. The audience needs to have a attributed this to a long-time mindset of Tamils
short-lived respite in the first few months of the new mechanism to know who the media owners are to thinking that all Sinhalese were bad, and Sinhalese
government in 2015 when state media broadcast understand bias in the respective media outlets—but thinking that all Tamils were terrorists. This has been
multiple views from all political parties and this is well-hidden. “Even if you get to know who the reflected in the stances the respective media outlets
segments in the country. “We called several political directors of the company are, it may just be a front have taken, he said.
parties for discussions at the start, but that only for someone else,” he said. Nallaperuma quipped
lasted three months. Soon we went back to being that even details from the company’s registration Multiple news sources provide citizens
partisan,” said de Silva. may not reveal who really owns the company, with reliable and objective news.
Sri Lanka has no issue with citizens accessing making transparency in media ownership very
PLURALITY OF NEWS SOURCES INDICATORS
alternative news sources or international media murky.
outlets such as Reuters, Agency France-Presse Dhasanayake, however, pointed that normally ▶A
▶ plurality of affordable ▶Independent
▶ broadcast
public and private media produce their
(AFP) or the Associated Press (AP). Some dailies publishing houses do not receive a license to start
news sources (e.g., own news programs.
also carry a section on international news as a television network from the Telecommunications print, broadcast,
part of their own coverage. The Weekend Express Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) even Internet) exists. ▶Transparency
▶ of media
ownership allows
newspaper, which has ties with The New York Times, though a person owning a television network can ▶Citizens’
▶ access consumers to judge
publishes the latter’s articles in its own paper every start a newspaper, since permits are not required to domestic or objectivity of news;
day. This publication is circulated with the Tamil for newspapers. A study of the list of licensed international media media ownership is
is not restricted. not concentrated in a
paper Veerakesari and reaches Tamil audiences who broadcasters registered with the TRCSL proves this
few conglomerates.
read English. Veerakesari, according to Fairooz, has to be true. ▶State
▶ or public media
also partnered with the Indian daily Tamil language Regarding the issue of media highlighting a reflect the views of ▶A
▶ broad spectrum of
the entire political social interests are
newspaper Dina Thanthi to publish some parts of broad range of voices, Weerasinghe observed that spectrum, are reflected and represented
its own newspaper daily as an insert in Veerakesari. the Colombo-centric media industry still tends to nonpartisan, and serve in the media, including
This allows local audiences to receive news from only concentrate on bringing out the voices of the the public interest. minority-language
India along with their local newspaper. so-called Colombo elite. “When someone outside of information sources.
▶Independent
▶ news
With regard to media ownership, the panelists this circle is reported on, they are more often than agencies gather and ▶Broadcast
▶ ratings,
discussed the growing trend of conglomerates not victims in some tragedy. It is never a positive distribute news for print circulation figures,
and broadcast media. and Internet statistics
in Sri Lanka’s media industry. These conglom- story,” he said. are reliable.
erates are owned by a few individuals who tend to Fairooz felt that minority voices are not given
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MEDIA SUSTAINABILIT Y INDE X 2019SRI L ANK A
For Dodawatta, to whom the media reflects newspaper or watch television. Additionally, removed. Nallaperuma highlighted how his own
the society it operates in, the media is ingrained to a weakening economy in the country has daily newspaper, Lakbima News, had to be shut
reflect the view of the majority in any society, which decreased advertising revenue for many media down in mid-2018, as it was no longer profitable
has the most reach. Considerations about diversity outlets. Further, the panelists pointed out that to run. Another Sinhala broadsheet called Rivira
are not part and parcel of it. the increasing price of newsprint in the global which printed both a daily and weekly shut down in
Dhasanayake, speaking from the perspective of market, coupled with the government’s decision January 2018. They had already closed down their
working in a Sinhala media outlet, said that at times to increase the tax on imported newsprint, have English weekly The Nation in December 2017. Apart
they could not cover issues of all ethnic groups due doubled the price of newsprint in Sri Lanka since from this, the Sinhala language weeklies Janayugaya
to a lack of resources and language barriers. Many late 2018. This led many smaller publications and and Sathhanda also closed operations in January
in the Sinhala media do not understand Tamil, so struggling newspapers to close down operations 2018 as a result of their main financiers pulling out.
they do not have access to their news. People from in late 2018. The former had only been started in April 2017.
all ethnic groups work for English newspapers, so
there is no language barrier to news. To help break Raguram noted that the main problem lies in “We have become more profit driven than
this barrier, Dhasanayake noted that he has taken media companies not having alternative business [public] service oriented,” Sabesan observed.
steps to publish half-a-page of news every week models to that of direct advertising: All depend
which is carried in all Tamil newspapers. Verite on advertising revenue with no other alternative As legacy media struggles, more online
Research helps him collate the news from each sources of income. Weerasinghe added that only a platforms have also popped up. According to
language publication every week. few commercial enterprises in Sri Lanka advertise, Fairooz, however, these have also not been making
Daskon who works with those with disabilities and thus there is a limited amount of advertising much money, as people have not caught up to the
noted that, apart from language, few outlets cater revenue to go around, and it has not increased over idea of online advertising. While many start news
to the deaf and blind community. Only the state-run the years. As a result, many of these media outlets websites given the low overhead costs, they do not
media outlets have sign language interpreters during get their money from political outlets. “They are not last long given that advertising is hard to obtain.
their daily news broadcast and no media outlet making profit,” he said. Sabesan observed that it is The media companies that are doing
caters to the braille reading community. imperative that media be commercially independent, well in the country are ABC Network, Derana
Overall, the panelists argued that there is little but many are facing the issue of generating revenue Television Network, and the publishing house
interest in diversifying media content and in catering in the industry. Sadly, this has also compromised the Wijeya Newspapers Pvt Ltd. ABC Network and
to diverse audiences primarily because of the lack quality of news. “We have become more profit driven Derana started off in radio and television and then
of will among the management, which again is only than [public] service oriented,” he observed. diversified into publishing. Though some observed
motivated by profit. According to Nallaperuma, Sri Lanka has to that these two companies may also be receiving
also deal with the limitations of a small market. In funds from other political sources, the companies
India, newspapers print many editions, and there have done well in terms of popularity and ratings.
OBJECTIVE 4: is more print because India has a larger market. In Wijeya Newspapers—which publish the newspapers
BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT
1.57 contrast, Sri Lanka prints a very small numbers of Daily Mirror (English) and Lankadeepa (Sinhala)—
newspapers, and companies cannot make much of a have the highest circulation. Being a privately-run
Following global trends, Sri Lankan media are profit in a small market. In spite of that, competition media organization, it is able to maintain a modicum
struggling financially. Competition from free within the Sri Lankan market is also high, he added. of independence in reporting and is increasingly
online sources for news and social media plays He explained that earlier the government used to using social media and online platforms to promote
a crucial role in the spreading of information, provide newspapers with tax concessions on the their newspapers, which has garnered them a wider
making people less likely to purchase a import of newsprint, but those have been recently reach.
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MEDIA SUSTAINABILIT Y INDE X 2019SRI L ANK A
Apart from this, Dhassanayake noted that MBC In Jaffna, many outlets are being sustained with the authorities in order to get government
Network, under which television stations such as on diaspora investments, according to Raguram, advertising.
Sirasa TV (Sinhala) operate, has begun producing but he observed that many of them do not have a Many panelists complained that advertising
Sinhala films in order to generate additional income sustainable business plan to keep it going once the has started to take precedence over news.
to supplement their news stations. Other publishing funding dries up. Dhassanayake noted that it is only Derana and the
houses, such as the state-owned publishing house Regarding the role of advertising agencies, ABC Network which maintains the 1:3 ratio between
Associated Newspapers of Ceylon, run their own Weerasinghe said few agencies control the whole advertising and news as they are financially viable
commercial printing section to supplement their market; in addition to that, there are buying agencies enough to dictate terms to the agencies.
income along with publishing newspapers. which are controlling the space available for Regarding government subsidies in the media
Fairooz added that his own company which advertising. “All in all, advertising agencies dictate sector, de Silva stated that her own station is legally
mainly publishes Tamil newspapers such as the media industry,” he said. These agencies, based defined as being semi-government and is registered
Veerakesari had entered into agreements with in Colombo, are mainly multinationals—such as under the Company Act. As a result, they need to
newspapers in southern India such as Dina Thanthi Leo Bernett and Ogilvy— mixed with Sri Lankan earn their own revenue with little support from the
to publish a pullout of the latter’s paper in the companies, including Triad, Phoenix and Grants. government.
Veerakesari publication. This has helped the southern Dhassanayake relating his experiences with According to the moderator Ashoka Darshana,
Indian Tamil-language paper reach a wider audience his own newspaper Ada, which is the second the state-run radio stations, Sri Lanka Broadcasting
in Sri Lanka, and advertising from India or Sri Lanka Sinhala daily published by his company Wijeya Corporation and Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation,
published in that pullout is shared among the two Newspapers, said although his newspaper has made are heavily subsidized by the government, and the
companies. it to the number two position in the field, advertising money allocated for capital expenditure is being
companies refuse to place ads with it because used to pay employee salaries, as these organi-
Independent media are well-managed they have already given his company their quota zations at present generate little profit.
businesses, allowing editorial independence. of advertising. According to him, all of the agencies Nallaperuma also noted that in the last two
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT INDICATORS simply want to evenly spread out advertising years the government had also made a decision
revenue between all media outlets regardless of to advertise government gazettes, circulars,
▶Media
▶ outlets and ▶Independent
▶ media
supporting firms operate do not receive their readership or circulation. job opportunities, and the like in state-owned
as efficient, professional, government subsidies. These agencies are also growing in power, newspapers, mainly to increase their revenues.
and profit-generating and Dhassanayake noted that they dictate editorial Private media, too, depend on government
businesses. ▶Market
▶ research is
used to formulate policies in many media outlets. Some companies advertising, but they do not receive any concessions
▶Media
▶ receive revenue strategic plans, who support certain political figures ask that the from the government. At times the powerful
from a multitude enhance advertising
media outlet not publish anything against the ministers within the government use this as
of sources. revenue, and tailor
products to the politician they support. They ask that the media a bargaining chip to control the media, noted
▶Advertising
▶ agencies and needs and interests outlet listen to them in order to get advertising Dhassanayake. He related how certain cabinet
related industries support of audiences.
an advertising market. from their company. “I am not sure for how long ministers had circulated a rumor after the constitu-
▶Broadcast
▶ ratings editors can fight the pressure from these agencies, tional crisis in October 2018 that media institutions
▶Advertising
▶ revenue as and circulation especially with many running at a loss,” he said. who supported the former president would not
a percentage of total figures are reliably
revenue is in line with In Jaffna, Raguram noted that the media has a receive any government advertising. “This was not a
and independently
accepted standards at produced. love-hate relationship with the government. Though policy decision they made, it was just a rumor they
commercial outlets. they support opposition voices in their newspaper, circulated. But it got the reaction they wanted,” he
they are also careful to maintain good relations said.
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MEDIA SUSTAINABILIT Y INDE X 2019SRI L ANK A
The panelists agreed that market research OBJECTIVE 5: Broadcasters Guild, Producers Union, Jaffna Press
is not used to decide the types of stories they
pursue. Dhassanyake said that his company would
SUPPORTING
INSTITUTIONS
1.90 Club, Muslim Media Forum and Sri Lanka Tamil
Journalists Alliance are among the many organi-
undertake a survey from time-to-time when the zations which have been established. Further, each
circulation of their newspapers dropped, but For 2019, panelists gave a reduced score to region has its own association for local journalists.
currently there is no dedicated research staff. Few this objective when compared with the 2017 Nallaperuma, however, pointed out that
have the time or the means to undertake such study (1.96). While there are various bodies that although there are numerous organizations working
research. work to support media in Sri Lanka—including for the benefit of journalists, they have not been able
The panelists questioned the reliability and professional journalists associations, the Press to overcome many challenges in the workplace. He
veracity of the broadcast ratings, circulation figures, Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka, university alleged that few stood up for journalists who have
and internet statistics that media outlets publish. programs, media policy advocates, NGOs and lost their jobs in the recent past, making working
These ratings are mostly dependent on self-re- international media development organizations— journalists reluctant to join these organizations.
porting and are often exaggerated. many panelists questioned their effectiveness Dodawatta explained that it has been very difficult
Moreover, Weerasinghe noted that one-and- and relevance in the lives of journalists in the to build strong networks within and between media
a-half years ago, the government undertook a study field and expressed a desire for development in organizations, as journalists have been reluctant
of the television ratings system, and the government this area. to work together to make the movement stronger.
discovered that as whole none of the media organi- Dodawatta further stated that the unions and associ-
zations trusted the publicly available ratings or Dodawatta, whose association works to support a ations are created for journalists and, as such, they
circulation figures. “The industry is small so these culture of free media and ethical media usage, noted are interconnected. “When journalists do not join,
rating companies can undertake a proper study, but that there is only one trade union working on legal the union or association is weak, and they cannot do
they too do not have the money to do it,” he said. protections for journalists, the Sri Lanka Working much when things go wrong,” he noted.
Further, the research methodology used by these Journalists Association (SWJA), which has not been
companies is highly questionable, leading to many very successful in winning the rights of professional “Practical skills are the most important in
not accepting their reports. journalists. On paper, the SWJA has a membership of journalism, so you need lecturers who have
De Silva also observed that there have been over 1,200, and its goals include standing up for the
technical issues with regard to the devices which right of free expression and free media, protecting practical experience in the newsroom to
monitor broadcast numbers, and they are not the rights and the dignity of journalists, and teach,” remarked Weerasinghe.
reliable either. enhancing professionalism. He added that they have
Overall, given that most media organizations also not been very active over the past few years. Strong unions exist in state media institutions
depend on quickly declining advertising revenue, Rockwood noted there are 35 recognized where employees are allowed to unionize within
financially independence remains a challenge. media associations, 17 of which are national, and the organization, unlike in private media institutions.
that each group had set up their own association These unions, however, are attached to a particular
for various purposes. Apart from the Free Media political party, and not all of the members are
Movement, the country also has the Federation professional journalists (for example, they maybe
of Media Employees’ Trade Union (FMETU) which clerical or printing staff). During the October 2018
has been working actively to promote trade union constitutional crisis, Fairooz recalled how members
rights of working journalists. They have been actively of a union, affiliated with a particular party in power
involved in fighting for the rights of journalists at the time, forced the editorial staff of the state-run
who face poor working conditions. In addition, the newspapers to print what they wanted on their
14
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