Ethical concerns and media

In the afterglow of the January 8 change last year and the formation of a National Government following the general election in August, we have seen the restoration to a large scale of media freedom – one of the time tested pillars of democracy. Even the state controlled media generally maintain a balance in their reporting. The state media’s regular political talk shows often present the opposition viewpoint also with Janatha Vimukthi Permuna leaders especially accusing the national government of doing what the ousted Rajapaksa regime did.   

With the gradual restoration of media rights, there also needs to be a gradual increase in media responsibility. Essentially the media’s main role is to be the voice of the voiceless and oppressed people on issues ranging from the ethnic conflict to education and healthcare. In reporting and feature writing, the time tested principle for the media is to be fair, balanced and accurate. On this foundation, journalists could be trained to be police professionals who go into the dimensions of investigative, interpretative and proactive reporting or feature writing.   

With the enactment of the long delayed Right to Information act and the setting up of the Freedom of Information Commission, journalists and even other people will have access to information regarding various projects, tenders, contracts and related issues. With even more freedom there needs to be more responsibility and the best way is for professional journalists themselves to work out and more importantly act according to a code of ethics.   
Recently a MOVEMENT OF JOURNALISTS FOR ETHICS AND JUSTICE was formed. The movement says its vision is to foster, sustain and empower an ethically conscious national media. It wishes to help in their transformation into fora of dialogue on social justice issues, while cooperating with stakeholders in finding a fair resolution.   

The movement hopes to raise awareness among journalists and all relevant parties in the media, on the need for a value-based and socially responsible national media. Its mission is to ensure that media practices are inspired by humanitarian values, respect for Sri Lanka’s plurality in its numerous strands, guided by decency and fairness and inculcating in them respect for the sensitivities of communities, religions and vulnerable groups, such as, women, children, the oppressed and the disabled.   

The movement stresses that all media need to adhere to the principle that media rights accompany and are inseparable from media responsibilities with equal significance given to both. There also needs to be reverence for life, upholding non-violent conflict resolution, promoting national reconciliation, upholding and sustaining plurality in all its dimensions, respecting the rights of readers or audiences and advocating the inviolability of their privacy. The mission also includes support for equality in all its aspects; priority for democracy: emphasizing the primacy of Sustainable Development, poverty alleviation and promoting sensitivity to environmental concerns and empowering those seen as weak.