SUNDAY TIMESINTERNTIONAL COMMUNICATION

Sunesh parayil2nd MA Mass communicationReg No: 15386041

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SRILANKA

SRI LANKAPopulation: 19,408,635

Language(s):Sinhala (official and national), Tamil (national language)

Literacy rate: 90.2%Daily Newspapers: 12 Non daily Newspapers: 36

 major political parties United National PartySri Lanka Freedom Party Tamil National Alliance

BOTH THE SRI LANKAN GOVERNMENT AND LTTE NEVER ENTERTAINED FREE

PRESS AND COURAGIOUS JOURNALISM IN THE COUNTRY !!!

“Usually papers try to tone down what is said in a press conference or write in general terms and delete critical, pointed remarks against government ministers or officials.”

- Amirthalingam Nixon secretary ,The Tamil Media Movement

“Newspapers often change our words. I am not able to communicate with my constituents using my own words. They won’t publish our allegations against the army. There is no media freedom and dissent is supressed. In this situation, how is reconciliation possible?”- Suresh

Premachandran Jaffna MP

Newspaper Industry of Sri Lanka is controlled by 4 dominant newspaper groups

Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.(ANCL)Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.Upali Newspapers Ltd.Express Newspapers

Weekly NewspaperEnglish Language

Ceylon Times was established in 1846.

The Times of Ceylon Ltd was taken over by the Sri Lankan government in 1977. Wijeya Group, purchased the company which was under liquidation, in 1986.

The Sunday Times came into being in 1991

Sunday times is an centrist Weekly newspaper who opposing political changes which wouldresult in a significant shift of society andthey voices for press freedom in the country

Acclaimed journalists like Iqbal Athas and Ameen izzadeen works in Sunday times who arewell known for Brave Reporting and attacking both The government and LTTE

In 1997 and '98,  Sunday Times published series of articles by Iqbal Athas which detailed the disappearance of 70,000 mortar shells purchased by the Sri Lankan government from Zimbabwe. The shells first appeared to have been hijacked by the rebel group Tamil Tigers, but experts later concluded the communiqué allegedly from the Tigers had been faked. For his reporting, Athas was "verbally and physically attacked by both Government officials and thugs"

In 1994, Iqbal had received CPJ's International Press Freedom Medal for his courageous reporting on Sri Lanka's civil war.

In two articles in August 2007, Athas reported on the purchase of second-hand MiG-27 jet fighters from Ukraine, suggesting that the deal had been corrupt. The first, on 12 August, was titled "MiGs loaded with millions in mega frauds; The Sunday Times investigation reveals shocking double-deals and wheeler-dealings; While Lanka remains hush-hush, Ukraine Govt. orders full probe"http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070819/Columns/sitreport.html

“In a democratic country like Sri Lanka, newspapers have a right to expose the corruption of anyone. If crime is used to suppress it, then stern action should be taken.”

-Court verdict (2002) on the attack on Sunday Times Journalist Iqbal Athas’s home by Air force Officers for reporting the corruption in the Sri Lankan Air Force (1998)

It has been alleged that many high ranking LTTE leaders who surrendered during the closing days of the civil war were subsequently killed.Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times brought the story to international attention.

Ms. Ananthi Sasidharan claims to have witnessed the surrender of her husband Ezhilan and many other LTTE leaders to Sri Lankan government forces during the final days of the war in 2009. She says since then she has not heard from her husband, a well-known LTTE leader, and has been given no information about his fate.

References

HANDBOOK OF THE MEDIA IN ASIA shelton A gunaratne

MEDIA FREEDOM IN POST WAR SRI LANKA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE RECONCILIATION PROCESS

Reuters Institute Fellowship Paper,Swaminathan Natarajan WIKIPEDIA

THANK YOU !