Media in Sri
Lanka

Radio

TV

All that’s fit to print?
Lake House is main sewer for Government
Over seven private media establishments.
Some are sewers for political parties.
Over 4,000 working journalists. No data on
freelance journalists.

Media delivery
During war. Sorry, “humanitarian operation”

Choice?
• Increase in number of channels
• Narrowing range of programming
• No regional / provincial emphasis
• No local media

Provincial and
community media
Compelling examples of community radio:
…
Great examples of professional provincial
journalism:
…

Dinosaurs and
demons
Rajapakse regime
Owners and editors are old (men), stubborn
and often with congenital learning disorders
No FOE. No RTI. High self-censorship. No
professionalism. No idea what to report post-
war.

Worms within

Legal
Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited Law No 28 of 1973
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Act No 37 of 1966 (SLBC Act)
Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Act No 6 of 1982
Sri Lanka Press Council Law No 5 of 1973
Official Secrets Act No 32 of 1955
Public Security Ordinance No 25 of 1947
Prevention of Terrorism Act No 48 of 1979 (PTA)

Advocacy
Free Media Movement (FMM)
Editors Guild of Sri Lanka
The Newspaper (Publishers) Society
Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU)
Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA)
Sri Lanka College of Journalism

Trends
1. Increasing media consumption
2. Fragmentation
3. Participation
4.New revenue models
5. Young consumers
6.Broadband and mobiles

And the question is...
Can government control media post-war?
Technically more difficult with new media
Physical threats can contain and curtail
Economics of new media - sustainability?