“Voting for Lasantha Again, 26 Years Later” by Nalaka Gunawardene

“A quarter century ago, as an eager first time voter, I cast my maiden vote for a young journalist friend who had recently taken to electoral politics.”

via: http://groundviews.org/2015/01/08/voting-for-lasantha-again-26-years-later/

“Don’t say we are bad boys next time – Thugs warn SLPI” Sri Lanka Brief

“Leader of the gang who disrupted the media workshop to be held in the auditorium of the Sri Lanka Press Institute warned that ” if this institute allows any such training in the future done say we are bad boys”.  The person who can be clearly indentified in the video was referring to a workshop where Tamil journalists form the Jaffna was invited.  This flagrant violation of peoples right to association and expression took place in the heart of the city on 26 July 2014 .”

via: http://srilankabrief.org/2014/07/dont-say-we-are-bad-boys-next-time-thugs-warn-to-slpi/

“Let’s stand together; Death threats will not deter us –FMM” by Sunil Jayasekara

“We, the Free Media Movement (FMM) and  Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLMTA)  are here to day to inform you about the harassments faced by out fellow Tamil media journalists yesterday and today (26 July).  Sri Lanka Journalists Association, the Muslim Media Forum, Sri Lanka section of the SAFMA are unable to present here today but they all have endorsed this press conference.”

via: http://srilankabrief.org/2014/07/lets-stand-together-death-threats-will-not-deter-us-fmm/

“12 Northern Sri Lankan Tamil Journalists impeded” by Lanka News Web

“Northern Province Journalists were impeded by Sri Lankan Police, Army and intelligence joint operation while travelled to attend a workshop and a discussion on digital security. This workshop facilitated by some media organization from south and Jaffna Press Club. Jaffna Press Club is an independent collective of media personal and registered organization mandated for journalist welfare and empowerment in north.”

via: http://lankanewsweb.net/news/8323-12-northern-sri-lankan-tamil-journalists-impeded

“Getting Away With Murder” by CPJ

Though Sri Lanka’s civil war ended nearly five years ago, the government of Mahinda Rajapaksa has shown no political will to address its record of perfect impunity in the nine murders of journalists that have taken place under his leadership, first as prime minister and then as president. Government and military officials are suspected to be behind several of the murders, including the 2009 assassination of prominent editor Lasantha Wikramatunga, known for his critical reporting, and the nearly 10-year-old shooting of Aiyathurai Nadesan, penname Nellai G. Nadesan, an award-winning journalist who was threatened before his death in response to his reporting about the army. Impunity in Sri Lanka is a major factor behind high numbers of journalists going into exile, according to CPJ research.

Impunity Index Rating: 0.443 unsolved journalist murders per million inhabitants

Last year: Ranked 4th with a rating of 0.431

Via http://www.cpj.org/reports/2014/04/impunity-index-getting-away-with-murder.php

source:www.cpj.org

Channel 4’s respond to Sri Lanka’s “‘Corrupted Journalism’ and Channel 4 News” book

In the media pack given to all arriving journalists at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being held in Sri Lanka next week is a 222 page book called “Corrupted Journalism“.

Channel 4 News Editor Ben de Pear writes in response to a 222-page book entitled Corrupted Journalism given out to journalists attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka.

via: http://www.channel4.com/news/sri-lanka-corrupted-journalism-and-channel-4-news

source: Channel 4

“Citizen Journalism and the Numbers Game” by Padraig Colman (Groundviews)

How do we strike a balance between remembering and the infantile abuse that too depressingly often passes for comment on the websites of newspapers? How do we contrive a discourse that notes the mistakes of the past without allowing the armchair conflict junkies to encourage further mistakes to be made?

Via http://groundviews.org/2013/07/15/citizen-journalism-and-the-numbers-game/

source: Groundviews

“Sri Lanka tries new ways to crush independent media” By Bob Dietz/CPJ Asia Program Coordinator

“First, the bizarre: In a tactic we have seen in other countries, the government has used a low-level ally to question the validity of claims made by Sandhya Eknelygoda that her husband, cartoonist Prageeth Eknelygoda, is feared dead after vanishing in January 2010, two days before the elections that swept Rajapaksa to power. Prageeth Eknelygoda is alive and well, according to MP Arundika Fernando, who spoke in Parliament on Wednesday. CPJ regularly deals with allegations like this: A government ally will state publicly and provocatively that demands by spouses or other family members for information about the fate of their loved ones are a ruse. The families’ demands drag on publicly; their moral stature reaches uncomfortable heights; and the government decides to try to undercut them.”

Via: http://www.cpj.org/blog/2013/06/sri-lanka-looks-for-new-ways-to-crush-independent.php

Source: Committee to Protect Journalist (via Lanka Solidarity)