22 Jan 2025 | BY Apsara Rodrigo
Journalists’ associations demanded that the Government provide clarifications on the agreements signed during President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent visit to China.
“There has been a lack of clarity with regard to the agreements inked during the President’s visit to China,” Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) President Duminda Sampath, told The Daily Morning yesterday (21). “We urge the Government to give more clarity to the media with regard to these matters.”
Sampath also expressed that the Government should provide public service announcements on the State media as well as limit interference with the freedom of the media, while providing facilities for the freedom of expression. “The freedom to decide and report should be given to the media houses; however, the Government should also facilitate this by providing infrastructure to the media,” Sampath said.
The SLWJA has elsewhere stated that journalists in Sri Lanka do not receive an adequate salary and are restricted by certain laws such as the Online Safety Act. Hence, the SLWJA urged the Government to review the laws and regulations that may restrict the media.