The Media War

I’ve been to MTV a few times. Security’s not great.

The main independent TV station (Sirasa/MTV) was just set on fire by an armed gang. A few days ago the President himself took over the media ministry. This tells you how important the media war is, and right now the Rajapaske regime is winning. They’ve marketed and packaged the war to perfection, covering the human suffering with a pancake of make-up. The fall of Kilinochchi was very important, but it was packaged as a ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment, which it’s not. However, the fall was announced in advance and made official just in time for a 4 PM press event. At the same time, the military spokesperson declared that Prabhakaran would be captured by February 7th, though he didn’t name the time.

At some point one has to realize that they’re lying to us. Or, at the least, that news should be verified. However, the systematic silencing of the independent media has been so complete (and Sri Lankan amnesia so deep) that we believe what’s going on and forget how corrupt the media has become. The major defense columnists at the Times and Nation were threatened with dire violence, and Keith from the Nation beaten by thugs in the Narahenpitiya streets. The editors have been called and threatened, and even the editors of the government papers sacked at least twice. The journalist Tissanayagam is still in jail without proper charges. The website TamilNet was blocked without any documentation or process. The Sunday Leader press was burned. Now the Sirasa TV station has been burned. Oh, and Fashion TV was banned.

This is just stuff that I remember off the top of my head. Got knows what horror lies beneath common memory. Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapakse have systematically emasculated the free press and made the media into a wing of the war effort.

Now, there’s a panel at the Galle Literary Festival on this subject, whether journalists should ‘change’ things. Now, Mahinda is using media to change things, as a part of the war effort. And defeating the LTTE is a commendable task. However, if there is one thing this century should have taught us is that morality, ethics and reality are important. That doing the right thing is important, and that bending perceptual rules leads to the inevitable crash of reality.

I wrote earlier in The Case For A Free Press:

In order to improve the nation and win the war we need to see clearly what’s going on, even if that hurts the Secretary of Defense’s feelings. Client servicing is hard in any industry, but every professional swallows their pride and does it. The Ministry of Defense serves us, and we have a right to know what’s going on. Not because of any abstract principle, but simply because it makes our nation safer and stronger. And that is a case for a free media. This is a war for our nation and our security, and it requires the effort and support of every Sri Lankan. A free press gives us information, free expression gives us input, and free elections give us power. Called democracy. It’s great. And it helps us win.

I strongly believe that a free press is not a luxury, it is a tool for the very existence of a successful democracy. And by successful, I mean one where life doesn’t suck. You can control the media, you can use it to change perceptions, but that to me is the dark side. And even if you think you’re Luke Skywalker, the dark side still corrupts.

At the end of the day, you’re lying, and you’re hurting people, and you’re doing wrong. And whatever short term benefits you get will come tumbling down because they’re built on lies and suffering. And I don’t think ethics is a luxury either. All these short term perceptual tricks (the financial bubble, the marketing of the Iraq war) have come tumbling down because their foundation was rotten. That’s why doing the right thing is important. It keeps us safe, it keeps us strong, and it keeps us whole.

Changing reality is harder than changing perception. Building a future for the Tamil people is harder than burning presses and TV stations. It’s also more worthwhile.

21 Comments

  1. Another chink in the idea that just because we stick a piece of paper in a ballot box now and then that Sri Lanka is or ever was a democracy.

  2. While joining hands with you to condemn the brutal attack on MBC Depanama facility complex, I have some other comments on the general content of your blog post.

    Different people might have different opinions about how Sirasa people handle the media. There’s a belief among many Sri Lankans that, Sirasa is “Pro-LTTE” and some say it’s “Pro-UNP”. While I’m not personally believing in a “direct link” between Sirasa and the LTTE, or Sirasa and the UNP, I do admit that certain acts by the people at Sirasa, sometimes creates favors to the LTTE. And I believe that, they do such acts to create a “publicity buzz” among the people. They love controversy! In fact, controversies saves a lot of marketing money for people at Sirasa. When people talk about topics related to Sirasa, their brand keep circulating within the public domain all the time. (Eg: They didn’t said anything about Killinochchi victory in last night news. They made Pradeep Rangana the Superstar, by purposely manipulating the SMS votes etc etc)

    Though the topic of your blog post suggests that you are trying to post something about the Sirasa Incident, your intention is clearly here is to put everything into Mahinda’s account. (As usual for you). With this incident, you have found a nice piece of material, to degrade the achievements of Mahinda regime. To people like you, it’s absolutely unbelievable that the SLA has captured Killinochchi. I remember, you are one of those people who believed in that “LTTE cannot be defeated with a military effort”. You always insisted on “Talks is the only way out”. You are one of those people, who has “mixed up” the two problems this country is facing as a one problem. We have two main problems (Among many others). One is terrorism. Second is language and cultural problem (You people call this second one as “ethnic problem”).

    Now when the Mahinda government is successfully solving the first problem, people like you cannot join in the celebrations with rest of the Sri Lankans. So, you catch a small slogan here and there, and try to degrade the effort of this government to liberate the northern territories of this country.

    Attack on Sirasa complex was wrong, and it should be condemned. People involved in the attack, should get the due punishment. BUT IT SHOULD NOT BE LINKED TO THE ONGOING MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE COUNTRY. And this cannot be compared with “blocking of TamilNet” or banning Fashion TV (Actually, I wasn’t aware of it until I read this. I’m not a fan of FTV anyway). This is completely an isolated incident. Don’t play such cheap tactics, to link everything together and put it into Mahinda’s account! I personally know, Mahinda has a good relationships with Media People at Sirasa (People like Kingley and Marikkar). So, I don’t think Rajapakshe’s has anything to do with this attack.There’s no relationship between the war and the Sirasa attack.

    My personal gut feeling says, this has something to do with Mera-vin, or some of the “Police Lokka’s” in the Nugegoda, Maharagama, and Homagama region. Recently Sirasa revealed lots of corruption and mis-conducts happening in these police areas. Specially the links of some police chiefs in the area, to Sakvithi Ranasinghe. And a brutal attack on a traffic cop on duty, by an unidentified gang. The gang was later reported to have links to police chiefs in the area. And there was another Sirasa news report on abusing the 119 vehicles by police chiefs in the area. So, Sirasa has created lots of enemies in the police forces, recently. Police have not done anything, until the thugs has come to the complex for a second time and fully destroy it, after throwing a petrol bomb about a week ago. So, we have reasonable doubts to distrust the way the Police has behaved in this matter.

  3. Wonder when kottu’s going to be blocked…

    Funny thing, tamilnet.tv too is blocked on Bell internet.

  5. Attacking media is not acceptable. But as ‘ Voice in Colombo” says, I don’t know how you arrive at your conclusions this easy.
    I think not only the government, but the ownership of the private media organizations suppress media freedom in big time. I myself can relate few good examples of MTV/Sirasa twisting news stories to help parties/individuals its ownership favors. The same is true with Sunday leader. But I have never seen you commenting on them. May be they are helping the same people you want to help.

  6. How does Sirasa or the Sunday Leader publishing something ‘suppress’ anyone else?

    I’m not sure you understand what media suppression is at all. The legislation this government has proposed (or gazetted), the public statements they’ve made and the paramilitary violence against media is suppression. Sirasa airing something you don’t agree with is not.

  7. I don’t think it’s fair to compare the media freedom levels in western countries, with the Sri lankan context. In USA and UK, the media institutions themselves are self contained, and they act much more responsibly than our media people. Therefore, the governments in such countries does not need any strict regulations to control the media. If you think “Media Freedom” is the “right to say or do anything the journalists like”; you are mistaken. That is what we call a “Wal booru Nidhahasa” in our language.

    You have to be very objective, and agree that media institutions in Sri Lanka (Both state owned and privately held) are not acting responsibly all the time. Most media institutions have some sort of affiliation with political parties. And you have to agree, that the journalists in Sri Lanka are not always “true professionals”. How many of the journalists in this country holds higher education qualifications in media and journalism? Very few. Most other people are from A/L background, and they learn their “journalism” by working with the veterans, who are there with just O/L qualifications sometimes! If you can write or speak in good English, you can become a journalist in an English medium paper or radio station. Same thing work with Sinhala language. So, there’s a clear problem in the entire industry. We don’t have enough “right people” in the media. Just like inside the parliament! When someone doesn’t have enough qualifications to find a good job in SL, they have two options. Go to parliament. Or, become a journalist. When most of the journalists are not professionally qualified, they tend to act “emotionally” when handling the media. That can cause dangerous consequences. And that’s why Sri Lanka need more control over the media, than in Western countries.

    You have travelled a lot around the world. Tell me about a single developed country, where there are no government regulations at all, about the media institutions?

    If you define “Media Freedom” as saying anything comes to your mouth, without anyones objections; then the best media institution for you to join is right inside your bath room. Because, that’s the only place where the “perfect media freedom” exists.

    Having said all; I have to tell i’m not trying to justify the violance against the media institutions. I’m just trying to nullify your intended arguments.

  9. One more point!

    You guys try to highlight the violance against the media institutions as a matter of “Media Freedom”. I am saying it’s not a problem of media freedom. It’s purely a cultural problem. Violance has become a part of our culture. (And, JVP & LTTE is responsible for this culural shift). People think, by disposing violance against the rivals, they can solve problems. That’s the core of the problem. It has nothing to do with concepts like media freedom and media suppression.

    Tell me what is the difference between incidents like Hokandara massacure & Delgoda massacure, and attack on Sirasa? There’s no difference. And what about the recent murder of a school principle in a remote village in Ratnapura district?

    If you look at the issue in more broad terms, this is not a mere issue of governments intollerence against private media. This is the general culture developed in this country, over last 30 years. This happens in Universities. Inside parliament. In villages. Inside homes. And media institutions are no exceptions.

    Id there’s anything to be restored in this country, that is not “Media Freedom”. We have to restore the law and order in general. People have lost faith about the police. Thugs are now over ruling courts orders and police authority. We need to re-build an uncorrupted police service, which the people can trust as the guardians of the civil society.

    Now all of these problems cannot be solved in 24 hours. Mahinda Rajapakshe is not Jack Baur. (May be you watch too much of Hollywood actions. That’s why your expectations are too high). These are the problems ahead of us, from 2010 onwards. For 2009, there’s only one problem to overcome. That’s to over come LTTE headache. After that, let’s see if Mahinda can do something to the rest of the problems. If he failed, we always have elections to have our say!

  11. “This is the way freedom dies, with thunderous applause”.

  12. “Tell me what is the difference between incidents like Hokandara massacure & Delgoda massacure, and attack on Sirasa? There’s no difference. And what about the recent murder of a school principle in a remote village in Ratnapura district?”

    The difference between the two is that the media acts a check on executive power.

    Democracy works when executive power is checked. Parliament and the judiciary are the main checks but the media plays its part by bringing facts that the government would prefer to hide. There is a need for responsibility by the media but the laws of libel and slander should suffice to keep them in check.

    People get their information from the media. If the media is silenced then information becomes lacking. People will hear only the official pronouncements. This is why attacks on the media (and other institutions of democracy like the judiciary and parliament) are more serious than random acts of violence.

    In the local context, the media attacks are serious because other checks on power are weak. Parliament has been bought (give cabinet portfolios and other benefits and MP’s will never question anything – this is why we have a parliament of 225 and 109 cabinet ministers). The judiciary is highly corrupt and thus ineffective. The CJ is playing a very strange game of his own, which is all to do with politics and power and not about the rule of law. Indeed by overstepping his authority (interfering with taxation etc) he is contributing to undermining of the institution.

  13. What “thunderous applause” ? The news with filled with people fallling overthemselves to condem the attack

  14. Also:

    “After that, let’s see if Mahinda can do something to the rest of the problems. If he failed, we always have elections to have our say!”

    That is just the issue. once institutions are neutered the rulers can do as they please. Election victories are easily assured when there are few who can question.

  15. maybe sirasa or even the sunday leader, since they keep propping up in this debate have views that are pro some party or the other…but then again rupavahini and itn are blatantly pro government. and all that’s fine cos i personally don’t think there’s ever, anywhere a truly 100% independent media institution. if it’s not government then it’s a multinational company, sponsors, etc etc. or ratings that call the shots on what goes on tv and doesn’t. hell if you followed the us presidential elections on fox for instance you’d see how bias they were. so the us is really not a benchmark either. but the fact is we still had the option of hearing two sides, extremes as they were , but burning down media institutions like MBC takes that choice, that right, away. as to whose behind it…the truth will out, one day. voice in colombo has his/her suspicions on the police…and the police is under what/whose authority?!

  16. Couldn’t agree more ,voice in Colombo .

    “You are one of those people, who has “mixed up” the two problems this country is facing as a one problem. We have two main problems (Among many others). One is terrorism. Second is language and cultural problem (You people call this second one as “ethnic problem”). ”

    Spot on.

    On the oher hand media is the most corrupt institution in Sri Lanka(together with Judiciary and Legislature).Most of them can be bought for a bottle of ‘Gal Arrack”.
    There are no real checks and balances expect stupid antics from the CJ.
    What we need is a strutural change to decouple Judiciary ,legislature and executive branch.Then simplify and apply property rights properly.Remove government hands from Media .

  17. This is true. I don’t think you can ever guarantee or enforce ‘objectivity’ in every media institution. You can, however, allow them freedom so various viewpoints can coexist and some sort of meta-truth emerges. The public has to sift through it, but they have that freedom, and choice.

  18. To “who else but me”

    //police is under what/whose authority?\\

    I get the point. Government cannot escape from the responsibilty of any misconduct by the institutions under it. My suspicion is not on “Police Department” as a whole (Have to clear that). What I said was; we can suspect some high authority corrupted police officials in this area, who were exposed by Sirasa News, in the recent weeks. My suspicion is not on the entire police service.

    Even if that is not the case, Police has a big blame on this. They never even responded to the 119 call by MBC security people. How can I believe that 119 will respond, when I call them up in a trouble?

    The point I was trying to make is; we cannot put the blames to “individual names” like “Mahinda” or “Rajapakshe’s” as easy as Indi has done here. Was Sri Lanka a heaven before 2005 presidential election? Come on!

    This is something to do “very big” with the “Cultural Crisis” this country is facing, ever since 1971. JVP first gave a bad example. Then JR followed it up with brutal attacks on SLFP supporters after 1977 elections. 1983 Black July was another milestone of this cultural crisis. Then the tigers took it to the peak! Then came the JVP terrror part 2. And Premadasa was the first person who took the “terror culture” to mainstream politics. We haven’t used a word “Mera Deshapalanaya” before Premadasa came into power.

    So all of these things are having roots running down to years as far as 1970’s. You cannot simply conclude “Everything started to go wrong from 2005” like Indi trying to highlight.

  19. BTW, I forgot to mention what this cultural crisis is.

    The issue is, people of this country is “increasingly” believing in that “Violance against rivals can solve problems”. This mindset was slowly pushed into Sri Lankan culture over last 30 or 40 years, by all the political parties. They all are responsible! Not only Mahinda and Gotabhaya as Indi think.

    Hokandara massacre
    Delgoda Massacre
    Killing of a school principle in Ratnampura
    Killing the Student Samantha, at Sri Jayawardenepura University
    Bombing Sharuk Khan show

    What else you want to be reminded? This wasn’t the culture of this country it used to be few decades ago. Ask from your mothers! This culture was created over about a 40 years of time. We cannot now turn it back in 3 years or 6 years. This will take at least another 20 years to rectify this (The time, when the new born kids today become the new owners of our society). And, destroying LTTE, and then the Under world gangs are crucial requirements of that cultural change.

  20. Unfortunately the underworld gangs are working hand-in-glove with the political parties.

    They provide the bodyguards and the manpower needed to run election campaigns. I think the underworld also funds political parties, in return for the freedom to operate unmolested. This is the real danger in corruption. It is not a case of a few people making some extra money on the side. After a point the entire system becomes perverted.

    The criminals get away while the ordinary man is harassed if he encounters criminals in some form and the harassment continues when he tries to seek justice through the law enforcement authorities or the courts.

    The man’s house will be fire-bombed, he will be threatened, if a judge or a policemen looks like enforcing the law, they will be attacked, the media that carries stories of the attacks may be attacked in turn. This goes on until life becomes a misery for the ordinary man, who has no rights and is completely powerless in the face of thuggery.

Comments are closed.