Allegations against the media!

- The Sudar Oli Editorial

(August 04, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Media Minister Priyadharsana yappa has charged that the media today is more concerned about politics rather than issues such as development. The issues related to development are not given priorities. He made these allegations, while addressing the Fourth Conference of the South Asian Independent Media Association recently. Although at a glance one may view that it is true, a careful analysis will show that there is no truth in it. In reality, this is the result of the conduct of certain politicians and political leadership.

Whatever the nature of the development is, the authority and power in implementing such development programmes lie with the politicians. It is they, who take decisions determine the mode of implementation and implement them. It is such decisions by the political leadership, that will determine whether their decisions are development or otherwise.

For any development Programme to be successful the political leadership that makes decisions must be honest. They must have a vision. They must have a meaningful national policy and they must be reasonable and fair. Political leadership must have these qualities.

The media has a great responsibility to ensure that the political leadership go along such righteous path. If the media engages in such fair criticism, that can be helpful to the political leadership. It can promote development.

However, the truth of the matter is that today there is an absence of such noble qualities among political leaders. Therefore, it is hardly advisable for the media to refrain from making its criticism in an appropriate manner and in the right perspectives.

Furthermore, the independence of the media faces serous threats today. There are threats for the functioning of the media without fear and independence. As a result, the media has no alternative other than focusing attention on the political climate in the country, since there is a threat to media freedom!

(An English translation of the Editorial in the Sudar Oli, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo)
- Sri Lanka Guardian