Govt. draws plans to improve media quality - Media Minister

Samantha Suraweera, Gampaha south group corr.

GAMPAHA: The Government is fully aware of the valuable service rendered by the media to build a progressive country with a streamlined administrative set up to fulfill people's aspirations, said Mass Media and Information Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa at a workshop attended by Gampaha District media personnel at the Gampaha Pradeshiya Sabha auditorium at Miriswatta recently.

The Government has decided to improve the quality of media by improving the journalistic standards and capabilities of the media personnel in keeping with modern trends, the Minister added.

The one day training workshop for media personnel in the Gampaha district was conducted by the Mass Media and Information Ministry in collaboration with the Information Department.

Minister Yapa said achieving excellence in public media which promotes Sri Lankan identity and cultural heritage within a modern technological environment is the mission of the Media Ministry.

This mission would not be accomplished and the quality of media cannot be improved without solving the problems encountered by media personnel.

Steps have been taken to provide media personnel with tax-free media equipment and other facilities and to conduct educational programmes, the Minister observed.

Grammatical language is important in news reporting. The main objective of the Ministry to conduct district based workshops to improve journalistic knowledge and direct provincial media personnel to achieve this. Their contributions for the well-being of the country is important. Comments, proposals and directions play an important role in the development field.

Impartial, correct research and clear understanding is highly needed in reporting. Most of the provincial media personnel possess the ability. The workshop programme will upgrade their knowledge on news reporting.

The Ministry's intention is to transform the district based media personnel's workshops into educational units, producing qualified, all-round media personnel capable of catering to today's needs, he said. Minister Yapa presented microcassette recorders and certificates to the media personnel.

Mass Media and Information Ministry Secretary A. Dissanayake, Senior Assistant Secretary Mrs. D. Senanayake, Director of Information Anusha Pelpita and other officials were present.

Prof. Rohana Luxman Piyadasa of the Kelaniya University and veteran journalist Gamini Sumanasekare delivered special lectures.