Online edition of Sunday Observer

The media by virtue of its role in society is well equipped to criticise anyone and everyone. It is a monitor of power, both political and economic at all levels. While the media relishes criticising others it hardly opens its columns and channels for self-criticism. Nor does it encourage others to criticise it in one's medium.

The Sunday Observer thinks it is time for the media to mend its ways. It should open its columns and channels to readers, listeners and viewers to criticise the media, point out its shortcomings and malpractices.

As a socially responsible newspaper committed to the best practices and traditions of our industry the Sunday Observer has been devoting an entire page - MEDIA WATCH - on the last Sunday of every month since April 24 where the public could freely express their views, grievances and complaints about the functioning of the media.

We earnestly anticipate your contributions to MEDIA WATCH. Please limit your contributions to 300 words maximum in order that we could accommodate the views of more persons.

- EDITOR.

Your editorial on July 10, 2005 in brief says interalia, that Mullahs would issue fatwas against Muslim representative.

All of them have misjudged the nature of the JM. It is an administrative arrangement between two parties who control portions of the territory of SL.

The CFA has recognised the existence of two defacto administration despite whatever is written in the Constitution of SL.

Whether we like it or not the LTTE represents all the people living on the territory under their control.

There are in built guarantees to ensure that the Tigers do not walk roughshod over the interests of the minority communities.

It is tragic that politicians are misguiding and inciting the people over the JM for narrow personal and factional political interests.

Allegation that the JM is a threat to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country are unfounded.

Mullahs in SL have not issued fatwas. Your fears are unfounded. Or do you have some other motive?

When you say all who do you refer to? Is the JHU, JVP & UNP mentioned in the previous paragraph? If the JM is misjudged it is due to (i) the secrecy in which it was prepared with foreigners who are suspects (ii) very poor drafting (iii) failure to explain comprehensively and in time to the Cabinet of Ministers, to Parliament and the People. The strategies adopted to prepare and sign it reveals not only a lack of confidence in the Cabinet of Ministers, Parliament and the People, but knowledge that it may be rejected by the majority if divulged in toto.

There is an administrative structure in place which deals with funds voted in the budget and accounts for it, in the N&E as well as elsewhere. The said administrative structure is functioning and has managed tsunami relief to-date. It can be strengthened and empowered to deal with additional funds. No special structure is required. Other large scale natural calamities have been dealt with successfully by strengthening existing structures placing the right people in the right places and ensuring honesty and integrity.

In this case, a special structure was designed to suit the Norwegians and the Tigers. Promises were made to foreigners to set it up at any cost, even before the people were aware what it was all about.

The CFA was a serious mistake. It has been violated more than 3000 times within 3 years by the Tigers. The CFA too was hatched in secrecy with the Norwegians to suit the Tigers. It is a proven fact the Tigers have been allowed to become much stronger by violating the CFA. Disrespect of our Constitution seems to matter very little to you. Do you wish to give de jure recognition to Tiger territory?

This is a myth. How can the LTTE represent people without facing an election? Do you espouse democracy or dictatorship? Only representation of people by their freewill can be recognised. If at all, the TNA, NUA, SLMC represent the majority people of the N & E, not the Tigers.

The Supreme Court's interim order answers this part. Please await the final verdict before you decide that 'nothing fruitful will come.'

If the illegal actions of Tigers cannot be controlled by a 200,000 armed/police force, do you think that some words on a paper will? Can anyone who opposes the Tigers stay alive, except with massive armed protection as some politicians have provided for themselves at the expense of the ordinary people? What happened to Messrs Premadasa, Ranjan Wijeratna, Lalith Athulathmudali, Gamini Dissanayake, Amirthalingam, Yogeswaran, Thiruchelvam and hundreds of others?

The Supreme Court order shows who was trying to misguide the people. The desire to win the Nobel Peace Prize is narrow personal interest,is it not? Trying to stay in power forever is factional political interest, is it not?

The Tigers are a threat to the territorial integrity of our country. Our Sovereignty is not recognised by the Tigers. It has been violated. Not even the President can go to these areas freely. Our sovereignty has been surrendered by a powerless government. Is it not? The JM will bestow public funds to the Tigers. Part of the funds voted for the N&E by the Budget are siphoned off by the Tigers through commissions from contracts, tax on public servants, etc.

The government is unable to prevent it not only in Tiger territory but also in so-called 'army controlled' areas. Pocketing tsunami funds is simple for the Tigers. Who will stop it? Why was. A clause enabling the President or Prime Minister or Ministers or audit, law enforcement and other government officers to enter these areas not included in the JM? The Norwegians and Tigers know that the government has no backbone and will bend in anyway to get some cash. This has been and will be exploited to the full.

Dear Mr. Editor, as Editor of a national newspaper, please tell the truth always. You may lose your job But, is that not better than being His Master's Voice? I hope you believe in the freedom of expression and publication. Or does Article 14 of Chapter III of our Constitution mean nothing to you?

And we thought good reporting was to reveal both sides of the picture! To see the Sri Lankan example of this rule, you have to watch frontline and newsline, both on the same channel-one good dose of distorted lies from our politicians on both sides of the parliamentary divide, all intent only on expanding their turf and pot-bellies, and hang the country! Another equally good dose at night.

If you repeat a lie often enough, it is taken as true, especially by our Sinhala modayas, who are now standing by and watching their country being disintegrated and bartered off to the most virulent band of terrorists known to the world. By whom? By the despicable women and men, who have taken oath to preserve its sovereignty.

We hear that the questions and answers on front and newsline, seemingly impromptu, are well rehearsed by both sides. But a funny thing happened on 22 Tuesday (4/7) night. The chief of the infamous monitoring mission, the loyal, subservient slave of the sun god, ducked the question! We were told his line was engaged-to perfect timing! All this on the channel that never ever admits the identity of the slaughterer, who keeps piling up corpses on a daily basis, with total impunity of the hypocrites on oath to protect the citizens of this land.

We all know who killed, but never this channel! And surprise, surprise! who nabbed the first prize for correct TV reporting this time?

If our TV viewers have any spunk at all, they should insist on the front and newsline showing the views of those being consistently attacked. And if these victims, feel more easy replying in Sinhala, so be it!

In France, it is French , in Germany, German, in India, Hindi, etc. It is only a rootless pariah breed, divested of its heritage, that wants a foreign tongue to put all its messages across!

I wish to praise you for taking a neutral stand on publishing news and articles that's of national interest.

Our nation as a commonwealth country has close links with countries like India, Britain and Australia. As an expatriate in Australia, I am disappointed with the Consulate in Canberra. There are so many expatriates and temporary residents from Sri Lanka who lives here in many parts of the country. I recently try to contact the consultant regarding obtaining a new pass port.

It took many days to contact them, eventually when I got hold of them they failed to give me the full details how and where to get it done in the most effective and easy way. Eventually, it was the Australian Immigration office in Sydney that provided me the full details.

We as Sri Lankans are proud to proclaim that we produce the finest computer literates in the world. But in this day and age of high communication, our ministries failed to utilise these components to communicate effectively to the public and the world at large. Just look at their websites comparing to other countries ministerial websites, we are so inferior. Will our country utilise these talents and produce effective service to its public and the world at large.

Thank you for bringing into the lime light that our ministries need to be more effective and efficient in their services.

Chennai: The President and Chief Executive Officer of Garcia Media, Mario R. Garcia, has a piece of advice for practising and aspiring writers and journalists everywhere: 'Simplicity' pays. Cultivate the art of the brevity and simplicity.

Dr. Garcia, who has redesigned newspapers across the world over the past three decades, says he is not the first to say this. "Aesop did it in 620 B. C. He wrote all his fables in fewer than 21 lines," he told student at the inaugural lecture for the class of the 2006 at the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ) here on Monday. 'Lest is best' at a time when a large and growing group of newspaper readers-the new media consumer -are mere 'scanners' of newspapers.

A Poynter-Stanford University Eye-Track Research exercise had found that people visit up to six news websites a day on an averages-and in all spend 36 minutes reading and scanning all the information.

Hence, this was 'the best,' 'most challenging' and 'difficult' of time to be a journalist. And, the journalist needs to be a storyteller. "You just cannot survive writing narratives."

Writing short is not easy, it 'needs a lot of learning.' It can only begin when writers begin to rethink how they write and present information.

Dr. Garcia, speaking on 'storytelling for the 21st century challenges for Today's Journalists.' was of the opinion that reading was not dead. 'People are reading.

But they are more selective in what they read...You got to have a new story (to tell),' he said. Since people look before they read, the visual element becomes an important part of any story. In short, there is a 'marriage of words and visual images.'

Dr. Garcia chooses to call this WED (writing-editing-design). It follows that there are no separate 'world people' and 'visual people' there are only storytellers.

Dr. Garcia wanted students to adopt a professional and practical approach to criticism that they face. There was nothing personal about this. 'Creativity is not as serendipitous as we are made to believe....When they criticise, it is not you, it's your work. Rejection of your work is not rejection of yourself,' he said.

Making a case for being responsible while remaining creative, he said that the creative licence was a sanction to produce the best work one could. It was also important 'to share the gift of creativity with those around you.' The journalist should be aware of the impact he or she has on the reader, and that responsibility should guide him or her.

However, one could not be at his or her creative best all the time. But that was no reason to stay away from work. If there was a deadline approaching one should always give one's professional best, even though this may not necessarily be one's creative best.

Dr. Garcia emphasised the need not to give up on this pursuit at any point, though it was 'very natural to feel defeated' in the face of rejection of one's work.