| by Shelton A. Gunaratne
( November 21, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Guardian) Political maneuvering has resulted in a shakeup of the editorial
hierarchy of the Associated Newspapers
of Ceylon Ltd. (ANCL), better known as Lake House.
Lynn Ockersz, who took over as editor of
the Daily News early in April 2011, was unceremoniously sacked a few days ago for refusing to follow the orders of the Lake
House management to print a front-page
story adverse to human rights lawyer J. C. Weliamuna.
Rajpal Abeynayake, a peripatetic
journalist who has previously worked on the editorial staff of the Sunday Tmes
and the Sunday Observer, is the new editor of the Daily News. He served as the
editor of the Lakbima News, a weekly rag
he founded after his dismissal as the editor of the Sunday Observer.
Speaking from Colombo, a former Lake
House journalist senior journalist said yesterday, "Funny things happen
here. Rajpal was sent out and now comes back. He will do the dirty work that
the top men want. Lynn apparently refused to use a piece on J C Weliamuna, human rights lawyer,
on page 1 because he didn't find it of any news interest. And the next day he
was sent out. Manik [de Silva] continues in the Sunday Island. He is the only
journalist worth talking about."
Meanwhile, Ockersz has re-joined the Island (Upali Newspapers Ltd) , where he has resumed his previous job as a foreign news analyst. Ockersz was a former senior associate editor
of the Daily News, which he left in July
2007 to join the Island.
Lake House newspapers did not mention
any reason for the appointment of a new editor for the Daily News.
