Scientists are researching widely on what causes the Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) in Sri Lanka that affects thousands of people (mostly farm workers) and burdens the public healthcare system. As health officials and policy makers struggle with the prolonged humanitarian emergency, unprofessional and fear-mongering media coverage often adds to public confusion and fear. As a science writer, I have long been concerned about public communication of risk in times of distress. In late 2012, speaking at an Asian science communication workshop held in Colombo, I first coined the phrase: Mass Media Failure is complicating Mass Kidney Failure. On 16 December 2015, I was invited by Sri Lanka’s Presidential Task Force for the Prevention of Chronic Kidney Disease to speak on this topic at the NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON PREVENTION OF CHORNIC KIDNEY DISEASE held in Colombo. Speaking to an audience of scientists, health and agriculture sector public officials and policy makers, I briefly explored the kind of misinformation, myths and pseudo-science uncritically peddled by Lankan media. There are many reasons for systemic media failure in Sri Lanka that has allowed ultranationalists and certain environmental activists to pollute the public mind with half-truths and conspiracy theories. These need an industry level reform. Meanwhile, for improving the CKDu information flow in society, I proposed some short, medium and long term recommendations.

1. Mass Kidney Failure &
Mass Media Failure in LKA:
WHAT CAN BE DONE?
By Nalaka Gunawardene
Science Writer & Columnist
Presented to Technical session on
Renal Disease Prevention & Research
Presidential Task Force on Kidney Disease
16 December 2015
Colombo
nalakagunawardene.com

2. Where I come from…
 Trained as science writer, worked as journalist for
25+ yrs with print, broadcast and web media
 A ‘generalist’ covering & commenting on science,
environment + sustainable dev issues
 Especially interested in:
 Studying public perceptions & how they influence
public policy formulation in Lankan context
 Spotting and questioning conspiracy theories!
 Not a specialist in agrochemical issues – but been
interested at local, national & global levels

3. CKDu: Media’s Challenges
 CKDu: A powerful story for media
 Mystery disease, suffering, fear, death
 No scientific consensus: debate, intrigue
 Activist allegations, speculation, conspiracy
theories!
 CKDu: Also a difficult story to cover
 Slow evolving tragedy: temporal
 Impacts only humans but not landscape
 No drama of a ‘contagion’
 Needs effort & skill to ‘connect dots’

4. CKDu is NOT a Fleeting Story…
Unsuitable for Breaking News!
CKDu: A Mysterious Disease

5. CKDu media coverage in general:
Highlights LK media limitations…
 Many journalists lack science
background to critically examine
issues…or to ask the right questions
 Media uncritically peddling info
fragments & opinions without clarity,
context or coherence
 Many media orgs don’t assign
enough resources for in-depth or
investigative coverage (often due to
lack of priority, NOT lack of funds)

6. Mass Kidney Failure amplified by
Mass Media Failure in Sri Lanka?
 I posed this at Asian Science
Comm. Symposium in Oct 2012
 Healthy kidneys: filter waste &
excess water from body
 Healthy, vibrant media:
separate fact from fiction;
provides clarity & context
 Lanka today has both mass
kidney failure & mass MEDIA
failure!
WHAT IS TO BE
DONE???

7. Why it matters: Media dominates LKA
public’s info sources on current topics
70%
74%
94%
9%
13%
13%
52%
7%
27%
Newspapers and magazines
Radio
TV
Internet
Mobile phone/SMS alerts
Public exhibitions, seminars,etc
Friends, neighbors, colleagues
Educational institutions
Outdoor billboards, banners, etc
2010 market research survey covering 1,000 respondents from all districts

8. Roles expected of a
HEALTHY mass media in a society
 Report news…
 Provide background/context to current
topics and concerns…
 Carry multiple perspectives on issues…
 Add its own measured views (through
editorials)…
 SERVE AS PLATFORM FOR PUBLIC
DISCUSSION & DEBATE
 Maintain accuracy, balance, credibility

9. But in reality…
Is this the state of our media today?

10. State of our media public TV?
Only self-criticism in
our media these days
comes from their
cartoonists!
This cartoon by
Awantha Artigala

11. Surrounded by ‘news’…
…yet confused and bewildered!
Modern Conundrum: More info, less clarity!

12. Many Lankan media outlets present
CKDu/Agrochemical link as “proven”
 MEDIA is a plural, so we should not lump
everyone in one basket
 BUT many media: uncritically peddling
selected views of certain eco-activists…
 …While ignoring other views/hypotheses
 Some media also promoting a totally false
divide between “Western Science” &
“Our Science”
 CONFUSING READERS & POLICY MAKERS

13. Advocacy Journalism on Health &
Environment OK – but within reason!
“Journalists -- environmental or
not -- must be rigorous in their
fact-checking and field
investigations. They must provide
balanced analysis of issues,
impacts, choices and alternatives.
They must also be committed to
sticking with unfolding and
evolving stories...”
- Nalaka Gunawardene, in SciDev.Net
Global Editorial, 20 April 2007
Full text: http://tiny.cc/SDNCOB

14. A metaphor for CKDu coverage in
most of our media?
“Sky-is-Falling”
Alarmist Chicken
Licken seems to be a
role model for some
Lankan journalists!

15. Too much finger pointing,
Too little informed reflection!
 TOO MUCH time & energy spent
looking for a ‘Villain’
 TOO LITTLE media attention on:
 Healthcare needs of those already
living with CKDu
 Economic, social & emotional needs
of affected families
 How to prevent more people falling
sick: need for safe drinking water
 NOT ENOUGH questions on
overall agro policies that heavily
favour high external inputs

16. ‘Villains’ linked to CKDu thus far…
 Pesticide producers (always seen as
western multinationals)
 Govt regulator: Registrar of Pesticides
 Ministry & Dept of Agriculture (they are
still promoting high external input
farming as official agro policy)
 Moderate scientists who are evidence-
driven (faulted by some media for not
accepting conspiracy theories!)
 Sceptical Journalists asking questions
(ditto)

17. Simplistic analysis of complex
problems…won’t solve problems!
Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka) editorial illustration

18. Example 1: Environmentalists
poisoning the public mind!
Typical eco-activist position:
 Green Revolution big mistake
 Agrochemicals came with it
 They should be banished or
severely restricted
 CKDu seems to be linked to
agrochemicals (never mind how)
 Just use this public scare to ban
all pesticides!
 End justifies the means?
“Poisoners of Our People:
Beware - Arsenic in your
food!” Mihimandala eco
magazine, July 2011

19. Example 2: “Arsenic kills thousands
while Health Ministry Slumbers”
 Sunday Leader: 17.03.2013
 Political activists take up
CKDu: blames govt of
inaction to ban “all arsenic-
containing agrochemicals”
 Registrar of Pesticides
(govt regulator) called a
“multinational agent” in an
alleged ‘toxic conspiracy’

20. Example 3: Even
BBC fell for it!
Conspiracy-peddling fringe
group Swarna Hansa Fdn
demands ‘compensation’
from UN-FAO for "promoting
agrochemicals" allegedly on
behalf of agro sector
multinational companies;
they get even global media
coverage far too
disproportionate to the
validity of their dubious claim!
BBC Online, 13 Dec 2013 
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-
asia-25355698

21. Rare, honourable exception!
One newspaper, independent Ravaya (ravaya.lk), stands apart
from rest of Lankan media in questioning CKDu-Arsenic claim

22. “Divine-assisted” Science on CKDu?
Why no bigger outcry in media?
Cartoon by
Awantha
Artigala
Daily Mirror:
20 June 2011

23. Is Vidusara Generation now
shaping public discourse?
 Popular science weekly, est.
1987 by Upali Newspapers
 Substantial public service in
taking S&T to Lankan public
 BUT sadly, it also peddles:
 Conspiracy theories by activists
(without counter-views)
 Bashing “Western Science”
 “Vidusara Generation” seems
to have permanently
suspended their disbelief!

24. Problem of misinfo not new,
but aggravated by new media spread
How can we ‘turbo-charge’ truth to keep up
with untruths, half-truths and pseudo-
science?

25. Too many voices, all demanding
action  “Policy making on the run”?
 Multiple pressures from: affected persons; social
or eco activists; political opponents; media, etc.
 24/7 news cycle (TV news channels+social
media): no time to weigh pros & cons
 Policy makers need to be SEEN AS DOING
SOMETHING all the time (never mind efficacy!)
 Evidence-based, measured approach
abandoned?
 Populism & short-termism seem to dominate
 Can lead to: problem aggravation, progress
stagnation or even backsliding of progress…

26. Sirisena Manifesto:
Conspiracy theories?
 “…immediately prohibit
the import and
distribution of
agrochemicals that were
identified as causing
kidney diseases”
 Maithripala Sirisena
Election Manifesto,
Dec 2014. p30

27. January 2015:
President Sirisena’s Challenge…
“Now in office, president Sirisena
faces the hard task of balancing the
interests of public health, food
security and farmer welfare. Paddy
farmers, long accustomed to a
massive state subsidy on chemical
fertiliser, are unlikely to give that up
without a fight.”
- Nalaka Gunawardene, in
“Balancing History, Myths and Populism”
SciDev.Net 31 Jan 2015: http://shar.es/1oiOn2

28. Media as part of the solution?
My own approach to CKDu coverage
 My approach in covering CKDu & related
issues for the past few years:
 Balancing public health, agriculture &
environmental interests
 Amplifying findings & views of CREDIBLE,
properly peer-reviewed science
 Acknowledging UNCERTAINTIES & urging the
need for more study
 NOT romanticising any indigenous knowledge
 NOT idolising Lanka’s small, subsistence farmers
(they’re not as hapless as they seem or claim!)

29. WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
1. Short-term recommendations
 Set up Action Group for PUBLIC
communication of CKDu related official info
 Vastly increase SUPPLY of official, scientific
information on CKDu using all possible ways:
 State media (still have considerable outreach)
 Health Education Bureau
 Govt Dept of Information
 Step up use of new media methods:
 Dedicated CKDu official website
 Use of social media (peddle right info and also
counter myths & misconceptions)

30. WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
2. Medium/Long term Recomms.
 Commission social science research on how
and why misinformation & pseudo-science
spreads in Lankan soc: to identify countering
strategies
 Conduct more awareness & sensitisation
progs for journalists on CKDu
 Collaborate with Sri Lanka Press Institute
(SLPI) & university journalism depts to offer a
course in science communication

31. You just CAN’T dictate terms to media:
Change is only possible thru’ long-term
collaboration: No quick fixes!
 Poverty
related stories
 CRIME related
stories!

32. In a ‘Marketplace of Ideas’,
only so much all of us can do…
“The problem with the
world is that fools and
fanatics are always so
certain of themselves,
and wiser people so
full doubts.” - Bertrand Russell

33. Blog: www.nalakagunawardene.com
English column archive:
https://collidecolumn.wordpress.com
Twitter: @NalakaG
This is a contested space:
Always open for reasonable debate!