Government threatening media is counterproductive

The National People’s Power (NPP) Government is under fire these days after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) summoned a Newspaper Editor to question him over a news item published in his paper.

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The Free Media Movement (FMM) and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), the leading media organisations in the country have decried the government’s move as a threat to media freedom.

While the government ministers allege that the news item in question was factually wrong and a part of the smear campaign by the Opposition, some journalists and Opposition parties contest their assertion. They are of the opinion that the government is attempting to tame the media by threatening it.

In fact, it would be the upshot of summoning journalists to the CID headquarters, whatever the real motive of the leaders of the government may be. During the previous Gotabaya Rajapaksa Government, the CID wanted to question veteran Chief Editor of Lankadeepa, Siri Ranasinghe over a news item about a fraud involving the CWE and the government had to withdraw its move following opposition by the journalists and the Opposition Parties including the NPP.