Public awareness about the Right to Information (RTI) is increasing in Sri Lanka, with eight out of 10 citizens recognising it as extremely important, a new islandwide survey has revealed.
The survey conducted by Survey Research Lanka (SRL), an independent research company, found that mainstream media – especially local TV channels – is where a majority of Lankans still find their news and current affairs information. At the same time, social media is rising as a source of such information for younger citizens.
It is through the mass media that citizens surveyed had first heard about RTI. While basic awareness and recognition of the term are widespread, fewer citizens understand how the RTI process works. Misconceptions persist.
Yet, the trend is clear. Across the country, men and women from all walks of life are beginning to exercise their new right – to seek and receive public information that can help solve a range of personal and/or public interest problems.
Survey findings show that most RTI queries concern unresolved matters related to the state lands distributed to citizens, and how to access various state subsidies and other benefits.
Less than 1,000 days
Highlights of the survey findings were presented at the World RTI Day official observance organised by the Ministry of Mass Media on 15 October 2019.
As I noted at that event, where I moderated a session with the SRL team, RTI has been operational in Sri Lanka for less than 1,000 days (to be precise, 984 days as at 15 October).
The RTI was added to fundamental rights in the Constitution of Sri Lanka (through the 19th Amendment) in April 2015. The Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016, unanimously passed by Parliament in June 2016, provided the legal framework for its implementation. Citizens have been able to submit RTI applications since 4 February 2017 when the Act became fully operational.
According to data collated by the Mass Media Ministry, just over 33,000 RTI applications had been submitted to hundreds of public authorities up to July 2019.
The Assessment on Public Awareness on the Right to Information study was conducted in two parts. A questionnaire survey involved a randomly selected sample of 2,515 adults from all districts of Sri Lanka representing population density and diversity. Additionally, 26 focus group discussions were held in 23 districts, involving a total of 246 citizens who had submitted at least one RTI application.
The study was commissioned by the Ministry of Mass Media, which is mandated by the RTI Act to ensure its effective implementation.
According to SRL, this survey has achieved 95% confidence level at a 3% margin of error. While focus group discussions were conducted in June and July, the questionnaire-based survey was carried out during August 2019. Citizen interactions took place in Sinhala or Tamil languages.
Survey highlights
Here are a few highlights of the survey component’s findings:
These survey findings show that while there is a certain level of general awareness about RTI, many gaps remain in the public understanding of the actual process and how it can empower citizens to hold their government accountable.
Nevertheless, the survey indicated that RTI as a concept had entered the public consciousness within a short period. Credit for this is shared by many civil society activists, journalists, and government officials who have been promoting RTI.
The study also found some public misconceptions and apprehensions about RTI. Among those who know about RTI, for example, 67% feel that requesting information from government institutes is a “tedious task”.
Some are also under the impression that citizens are not allowed to ask for certain kinds of information under RTI. In reality, the Act has not placed any such limits. (There are some grounds on which information access may be denied, which is for the guidance of public officials. Even there, a public interest override has been provided.)
The survey asked citizens how they get most of their information on current affairs and from where they heard about RTI. Answers to both questions showed that mass media was the main source. With multiple answers allowed, 95% of respondents cited television as a source, followed by newspapers (32%) and radio (28%). Social media was cited as a key source of information by 28% of the full sample. These digital users said their most trusted sources were (in descending order) Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Viber, and Imo. Other information sources like government offices, civil society organisations, and community-level meetings figured less prominently.
The survey findings provide useful policy implications as well as insights for future strategies and interventions in RTI-related awareness raising and public communication.
It is now left to the Ministry of Mass Media, the RTI Commission, and civil society to make use of these insights to enhance future RTI promotion activities.
(Disclosure: I served as an advisor to the survey process. The full report is to be made public shortly.)
(Science writer Nalaka Gunawardene has been chronicling and critiquing information society for over 25 years. He tweets from @NalakaG)
It is through the mass media that citizens surveyed had first heard about RTI. While basic awareness and recognition of the term are widespread, fewer citizens understand how the RTI process works. Misconceptions persist.
Yet, the trend is clear. Across the country, men and women from all walks of life are beginning to exercise their new right – to seek and receive public information that can help solve a range of personal and/or public interest problems.
Survey findings show that most RTI queries concern unresolved matters related to the state lands distributed to citizens, and how to access various state subsidies and other benefits.
Less than 1,000 days
Highlights of the survey findings were presented at the World RTI Day official observance organised by the Ministry of Mass Media on 15 October 2019.
As I noted at that event, where I moderated a session with the SRL team, RTI has been operational in Sri Lanka for less than 1,000 days (to be precise, 984 days as at 15 October).
The RTI was added to fundamental rights in the Constitution of Sri Lanka (through the 19th Amendment) in April 2015. The Right to Information Act No. 12 of 2016, unanimously passed by Parliament in June 2016, provided the legal framework for its implementation. Citizens have been able to submit RTI applications since 4 February 2017 when the Act became fully operational.
According to data collated by the Mass Media Ministry, just over 33,000 RTI applications had been submitted to hundreds of public authorities up to July 2019.
The Assessment on Public Awareness on the Right to Information study was conducted in two parts. A questionnaire survey involved a randomly selected sample of 2,515 adults from all districts of Sri Lanka representing population density and diversity. Additionally, 26 focus group discussions were held in 23 districts, involving a total of 246 citizens who had submitted at least one RTI application.
The study was commissioned by the Ministry of Mass Media, which is mandated by the RTI Act to ensure its effective implementation.
According to SRL, this survey has achieved 95% confidence level at a 3% margin of error. While focus group discussions were conducted in June and July, the questionnaire-based survey was carried out during August 2019. Citizen interactions took place in Sinhala or Tamil languages.
Survey highlights
Here are a few highlights of the survey component’s findings:
- 73% of Sri Lankans in the sample recognise RTI as a key right of citizens, which compares well with long-established rights like the right to vote, right to freedom of expression, and freedom of religion. Four out of 10 citizens are also aware of the existence of the RTI Act as a law that gives effect to the right.
- There are some variations in the public awareness of RTI. More men in the sample (49%) were aware of the RTI Act than women (37%). Relatively, more Sinhalese (48%) and Muslims (29%) had basic awareness of RTI compared to Tamils (19%).
- Across the country, 84% of survey respondents agreed that RTI is extremely important, and another 13% said it is somewhat important. Same levels of perception were found among citizens of different age, gender, and ethnic backgrounds, as well as those living in different provinces.
- However, two-and-a-half years after citizen applications were allowed, only 7% of surveyed citizens had requested some information from a public authority, while another 3% said they were planning to do so. The highest number of people who had sought information was in the Northern, Eastern, and Central Provinces.
- Among those who had used RTI or planned to do so, the most common concerns were matters related to (occupation or ownership of) state lands, as well as access to state benefits or subsidies. Using RTI, many citizens had sought details about Samurdhi (social welfare grants), flood relief assistance, discrepancies in promotions and salaries of public sector employees, road construction expenditure, and various development-related projects and initiatives at central, provincial, and local government levels.
- One-third of those who are aware of the RTI Act do not yet have a clear idea of how the process works. However, a majority (70%) agreed with the statement that any citizen can appeal to the RTI Commission if denied information by a public authority.
- An overwhelming 94% of those who know about RTI agreed it is a human right, while 77% acknowledged it is a means to reduce corruption in the country.
These survey findings show that while there is a certain level of general awareness about RTI, many gaps remain in the public understanding of the actual process and how it can empower citizens to hold their government accountable.
Nevertheless, the survey indicated that RTI as a concept had entered the public consciousness within a short period. Credit for this is shared by many civil society activists, journalists, and government officials who have been promoting RTI.
The study also found some public misconceptions and apprehensions about RTI. Among those who know about RTI, for example, 67% feel that requesting information from government institutes is a “tedious task”.
Some are also under the impression that citizens are not allowed to ask for certain kinds of information under RTI. In reality, the Act has not placed any such limits. (There are some grounds on which information access may be denied, which is for the guidance of public officials. Even there, a public interest override has been provided.)
The survey asked citizens how they get most of their information on current affairs and from where they heard about RTI. Answers to both questions showed that mass media was the main source. With multiple answers allowed, 95% of respondents cited television as a source, followed by newspapers (32%) and radio (28%). Social media was cited as a key source of information by 28% of the full sample. These digital users said their most trusted sources were (in descending order) Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Viber, and Imo. Other information sources like government offices, civil society organisations, and community-level meetings figured less prominently.
The survey findings provide useful policy implications as well as insights for future strategies and interventions in RTI-related awareness raising and public communication.
It is now left to the Ministry of Mass Media, the RTI Commission, and civil society to make use of these insights to enhance future RTI promotion activities.
(Disclosure: I served as an advisor to the survey process. The full report is to be made public shortly.)
(Science writer Nalaka Gunawardene has been chronicling and critiquing information society for over 25 years. He tweets from @NalakaG)