Media Bashing Begins: The Honeymoon with New Govt. Ends

31/01/2016

Any journalist worth his salt knows only too well, the media is the darling of politicians only when they are out of power. When in power, unless one is absolutely willing to toe their line, journalists soon becomefoes from being friends.

Hence, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe‘s outburst against journalists and several media organisations is not something to be surprised about, as the honeymoon between a new government in power and the media is almost always short lived.

Of course, for those who had great expectations that the new yahapalanaya government would usher in an era when media personnel can have their say without getting thrashed by politicians, it is no doubt cause for great disappointment.

The Prime Minister’s remarks against media personnel on Thursday came during an adjournment debate moved by the JVP on the “Conduct of the Police in the recent past”. While many were expecting to hear more about the recent high profile crime cases including the Seya murder case and the death of a young man at Embilipitiya, in which the Police acted in a highly questionable manner, what followed was a lot of media bashing. The Prime Minister turned his guns on the media, accusing them of going on a witch-hunt against the police, referring in particular to the cases where the notebook of a reporter was forcibly taken away by police, while court hearings into the Embilipitiya case were under way.

The Prime Minister was irked that media groups and journalists have been selective in reporting on attacks on their colleagues and organisations during the former regime. “We do not need a media that applauds the Embilipitiya court and goes on a hunt at Homagama court. Have you been able to write a single editorial on what happened at Homagama court? What is your position with regard to Homagama incident? Do you approve the manner in which Eknaligoda’s wife was spoken to at court? We know you are trying to stir up racism. We will not allow that,” the Prime Minister said.                                           Read More