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Agents of untruth
This is on account of the misleading information, deliberate distortions, omissions and lies being brazenly foist on the reader by some sections of the privately - owned media, who continue to claim that they are "free". On Sunday - the Sunday Times really took the cake when it carried absolutely inaccurate, misleading and distorted reports, obviously to devalue the Government. The first was their lead story which in a blazing headline stated 'WB giving Rs. 6b to Tiger areas - Country Director insists the LTTE a stakeholder'. Reacting strongly to this false report WB Country Director Peter Harrold issued a statement contradicting the report, which we carry today as our front page lead story, which explains it all. On the same day the Sunday Times attempted to mislead the public on a recruitment of graduate trainees by the State to the education sector, apparently, in their haste to damn and denigrate the State. These newspapers are hardly caring to check on the full factual accuracy of their news reports: a cardinal principle in responsible journalism. This is probably how private ownership of newspapers leads to the "freedom of the wild ass". A trend in these newspapers, for some time now, has been to darken and discredit important State officials, such as Education Ministry Secretary Dr. Tara de Mel, who are shouldering the onerous responsibility of setting things right in this country's State sector and giving to the people their due. When Dr. de Mel resigned from the position of CNO chief, she followed it up with a detailed and clear explanation of the reasons which led to her decision, which was aired on the CNO Website, although speculative, misleading accounts of her decision appeared in some privately - owned sections of the press. These tendencies place a huge question mark over the reliability, factual accuracy and integrity of these sections of the media. Despite extravagant claims to neutrality and impartiality, these sections of the media are very much part of the power game and are mere pawns of partisan political interests. For, there is no better way to tarnish the image of the President than to project her officials in an unfavourable light. It is anybody's guess as to what the policies of these newspapers are. Are they for ending this country's conflict and rebuilding it on the principles of equality and unity or have they fallen prey to the parasitic interests which are keen on keeping Lanka in a whirlpool of tensions and uncertainties? Are they for a just peace or a wasting, destructive war? These questions are hard to answer. The treatment of some current issues in these newspapers, clearly supports the position that these sections of the media are on the side of untruth and lies. Take the case of a suitable administrative mechanism for the North-East which would facilitate the process of bringing relief to the population of the region. It has been the aim of these sections to equate this administrative mechanism with the controversial ISGA, although they are clearly not synonymous. The idea apparently is to keep the country on the boil while the President is exerting herself to the utmost to bring peace on an equitable basis. Don't these sections of the media need peace and happiness? On what are their hearts and minds focused? This mindset is most difficult to fathom. While constructive criticism of Government policy is welcome destructive criticism of this kind would only lead Sri Lanka along the path of national ruin. |
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