SLPI calls for a free press

The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) has called for vigilance to avert threats to the media and enhancement of media freedom.

In a statement released to mark the World Press Freedom Day (May 3), proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in December 1993, following the recommendation of UNESCO's General Conference, SLPI notes that this has provided an opportunity to celebrate the fundamental principles of press freedom; assess the state of press freedom throughout the world; defend the media from attacks on their independence and pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The world has accounted for 19 journalists' deaths in 2015 and 61 Journalists, in 2014. All these are directly related to their work and one significant incident this year was the Charlie Hebdo case which claimed the lives of seven media personnel. This illustrates the fact that even in strong democratic countries, making critical views could become a threat, which could be the case in many parts of the world on a daily basis. We have witnessed the same in Sri Lanka too.

While horrendous acts such as these killings, jailing and physical abuses are considered to be the primary approach for suppressing press freedom, financial sustainability and technological threats have also emerged as a form of impediments towards press freedom. Soft censorship such as indirect financial abuses and government regulatory changes indirectly impacts the critical reporting, leading to unbalanced reports, creating fear among journalists, which eventually compromises the freedom of expression.

Therefore, it is paramount that while we may look at only preventing the loss of lives of our colleagues in the line of duty and various threats should not be taken lightly.