President Maithripala Sirisena today lamented, that sections of the media was trying to crush him even after his new government has ensured media freedom.
Delivering the key note address, at the 60th Anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Press Association held at the BMICH today, Sirisena said that his government had ended the era where journalists had disappeared and were harassed.
However Sirisena lamented that the media was using the new found freedom to slander selected politicians and other individuals with scant respect to media ethics.
“Freedom of expression must not degenerate into wild ass freedom” he stressed.
When the Government ensures the freedom of the press the duty of a journalist is to write the truth without giving any space to achieve narrow objectives, the President further clarified.
While accusing the previous Rajapaksa regime of intimidating the media Sirisena added that the era of telephoning the editors to suggest headlines in newspapers has ended.
Without naming the paper, President Sirisena went on to say that one of the English newspapers has published an article which contained fabricated details of his recent visit to New York to attend the UN General Assembly,
While noting that he welcomed criticism, Sirisena emphasized that however this should be constructive and not totally one-sided or malignant.
On a positive note Sirisena thanked the media for propagating the governments view in a pro-active manner during the recently concluded UN Human Rights Council 30th sessions where a resolution on delivering justice for victims of human rights violations during the Lankan war was adopted by the council.
President Maithripala Sirisena presented felicitation awards to ten Senior Journalists at the event.
