SLPI seeks legal advice over state media allegations

By Sandun A Jayasekera
The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) is seeking legal advice as to what action could be taken if the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (Lake House) did not take immediate action to correct a news item hugely damaging to the institute which appeared in a state owned daily yesterday.

Addressing the media, SLPI Director General Ranga Kalansooriya said the news item had damaged the reputation of SLPI as an independent body in the field of journalism in the country. The news item under the headline ‘Eight Tigers sent to Norway under the journalist label, Applications were called by SLPI’ inter-alia had said that police intelligence had received information to the effect that a group of LTTE members were sent to Norway through Denmark under the journalist label by the SLPI in 2007.

“The news item was totally incorrect, baseless and malicious. There was no source, no base and no origin to the news item. The SLPI did not send journalists to Norway in 2007 at all. All twenty journalists

sent in Feb – March, 2006 have returned. The next batch of journalists sent to Norway in the same period in 2008 have also returned. The news item is a violation of all known journalistic ethics and norms,” he charged.

The entire cost of these tours is borne by DANIDA, he said. The SLPI has sent a clarification to be published in the newspaper. The SLPI has also informed the recently established Ministerial Committee on Journalists’ Grievances.

This was the first time the SLPI was compelled to seek legal advice though reluctantly against a media institution, Mr. Kalansooriya said. Member of the board of the Institute, Manik De Silva responding to a question said the Institute could not entertain a complaint against the news item as the Institute itself is a party to the complaint.

Meanwhile, Police Spokesman Ranjith Gunasekara confirmed to Daily Mirror that an investigation had been begun on this allegation by the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).

“I cannot vouch for the veracity of the ongoing investigation. But, the out come of the probe could be known in a few days,” he said.