No enforcement of Ethics Code on media

Friday, 7 June 2013 05:43 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government’s Media Ethics Code for journalists will not be enacted as legislation and is not an attempt by the State to clamp down on the free media, Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella clarified yesterday.

The Minister said that there was a misconception prevailing that the code would be a enforced on the media in the country.

“There will be no law enacted to enforce this code and no competent authority to oversee adherence. Media organisations can decide whether to abide by the guidelines or not – with no consequences,” he said.

He said it was his personal opinion that guidelines would have no impact on reporting standards since media could report offensively with no consequences such as in the case of the Ethics Guidelines imposed by the Editors Guild of Sri Lanka.

Minister Rambukwella said that however there had been suggestions to reenact the criminal defamation laws when the code was discussed in a consultative committee. (DB)

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.