Verité Media and Politics presents a proposal for ethical reporting on women

Deputy Minister of Mass Media receives recommendations to improve media guidelines

• For nearly a decade, Ethics Eye has monitored Sinhala-language media and documented persistent patterns of problematic coverage which normalise violence, reinforce harmful stereotypes, and deter survivors from seeking justice

L-R - Deputy Minister of Mass Media Kaushalya Ariyarathne, Head of Verité Media and Politics Deepanjalie Abeywardana, Cultural Councellor - Embassy for France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives Olivia Bellemere, Team Leader Verité Media and Politics Mahoshadi Peiris and Programme Lead Rochel Canagasabey. 

Image credits - Ministry of Mass Media 

In a bid to usher in a culture of ethical reporting, Verité Media and Politics, via its Ethics Eye platform, has handed over recommendations to the Deputy Minister of Mass Media Kaushalya Ariyarathne, proposing a national media guideline on ethical reporting on women and girl-children. 

To align with the government’s mandate to reform media ethics and international best practices, the proposal recommends two immediate actions:

New guidelines: Draft and adopt a survivor-centred national media guideline and encourage adoption by mainstream and digital outlets.

National training: Allocate funds in the 2026 Budget to support trainings and build capacity on the guidelines

The proposal was developed in partnership with the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives to promote ethical media standards concerning women and girl-children. It was handed over to the Deputy Minister on November 4 by Head of Verité Media and Politics Deepanjalie Abeywardana and its Team Leader and Programme Lead Mahoshadi Peiris and Rochel Canagasabey.

This effort draws on the long-running contribution of the Ethics Eye platform. For nearly a decade, Ethics Eye has monitored Sinhala-language media and documented persistent patterns of problematic coverage which normalise violence, reinforce harmful stereotypes, and deter survivors from seeking justice.

Verité Research is Sri Lanka’s leading independent, interdisciplinary think tank, providing strategic analysis and advice to governments, international organisations, and the private sector in and beyond Sri Lanka.