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Keheliya vows to develop media: Media industry and personnel to be empowered

14 Aug 2020

By Sarah Hannan
Newly appointed Minister of Mass Media Keheliya Rambukwella says that several programmes would be initiated to uplift and empower the media industry in Sri Lanka in hopes of rebuilding the credibility of the sector in the coming years. Speaking to The Morning, Rambukwella revealed that he would like to have consensus between media personnel and media institutions regarding the way forward. “I would also like to see collective responsibility with regard to media ethics, as it is not something that the Ministry or Minister directs and the media institutions disregard. I believe that media institutions need to have their freedom to report; however, that should take place within strong ethics, with the consensus of the general public.” Noting that the media needs to be open to discuss the people’s problems, but should do so in a diligent manner where the reporting is not one sided, he said the people who are accused should also be given a chance to furnish their say. “We need to have a media landscape that reports credible and valuable information; it is the responsibility of the media institutions and its journalists to build that credibility and trust by reporting credible information, or else they will forever be branded as places that target a select set of individuals or institutions. Reporting needs to be done in a more constructive manner, and not in an accusing or blame-assigning manner,” he elaborated. Similar to what he aimed to do during his previous tenure as Minister of Mass Media, this time, Rambukwella is to look at developing the media industry in Sri Lanka to international standards. In that regard, he is looking at empowering media personalities that have potential by introducing a grants scheme to pay for their tertiary studies, i.e. to complete their MSc in Mass Media. Furthermore, the Minister is also looking to provide them with the necessary equipment such as laptops, allowing them to complete their assignments in an efficient manner. “These factors will allow the Government of Sri Lanka to develop media personalities by providing them financial support and equipping them to carry out their duties in the field of journalism. Building a credible, acceptable, and sensible media force is of importance and these programmes will be designed after consulting the heads of media institutions and the experts in the field of mass media,” Rambukwella opined. Meanwhile, Rambukwella also took the opportunity to praise the media institutions for being supportive throughout his previous stints as Cabinet Minister and State Minister and for always communicating his messages to the public in a concise manner. He also noted that media personnel, although they are entitled to their personal political views, should not ideally reflect that in their work.


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