Media Development in Sri Lanka:

Highlights of a Rapid Assessment

By Nalaka GunawardeneNational Media Summit on Media Reforms

Sri Lanka Foundation Institute, Colombo: 13 May 2015

Why a Rapid Assessment? For quick overview of LK media sector

Print, Broadcast, web media Freedom of Expression, Media Freedom & Right

to Information – new developments Legal & regulatory issues Ethical and societal concerns Media education & training Technology’s impacts & challenges

Mix of academic, professional and industry perspectives on reforms needed

Framework: UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators (MDIs)

Adopted by UNESCO/IPDC in 2009 Enable assessment of media

landscapes at national levels Cover all aspects of media dev: law,

regulation, ethics, professionalism… Being used worldwide to identify

needs in guiding formulation of media-related policies and improving media development efforts

Rapid Assessment approach… Literature review covering relevant books,

academic papers, advocacy group reports, news media reports, media op-ed articles, blogs and other sources that are in the public domain

Informal interviews with selected persons from media policy, management, practice, research or advocacy backgrounds)

Additional research assistance on Tamil language media from Ameer Hussain of SLPI

My involvement in the National Media Summit preparatory process (as chair of Working Group 3)

Media Sector Reforms in Sri Lanka:Key questions to pose

What is not right with our media?How can things be improved?What structural changes needed?Who must be consulted/involved?What steps should be avoided?Where (overseas) can we learn from?What should be priorities/timelines?

Developing media sector without stifling it: Many Balancing Acts…

We need to maintain these in all media reforms:

Freedom of Expression ↔ societal stability Public interest ↔ private enterprise Public security ↔ privacy of individuals Official secrets ↔ public’s right to know Profit making ↔ media industry growth Media owners ↔ media practitioners Media industry ↔ media consumers/audience

Who are the keyMedia Stakeholders? We the People! (media users, content co-

creators, media watchers/critics, media consumers/market…)

Media Professionals: journalists, producers, photojournalists, editors, etc.

Media owners and managers Advertisers (big and small) The State (as guardian of public interest

though law-making & regulation)Remember: MEDIA is a plural word!

One vehicle, different sized wheels:A popular Russian children’s story…

Apt analogy for Lankan media industry today?

4 wheels = elements of varying size & influence: Media owners Advertisers (incl agencies) Content-makers (journos,

producers, technicians) Consumers: audiences

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What’s to be done? Until and unless we

address ALL FOUR elements, media reform won’t be complete! Owners Advertisers Professionals Users/Consumers

Sri Lanka Media Sector Reforms:Our Common Challenges… Taking stock of current status Acknowledging problems/drawbacks Understanding political, commercial and

societal factors involved Discussing the best responses Drawing from international good practices Demarcating roles of the state, owners,

professionals, advertisers & users (all of us!) Advocating for Change!

Laws enabling or blocking Freedom of Expression (FOE) & Media Freedom

Constitutional guarantees: Yes, but can be made better & interpreted better too

Laws supporting & enabling FOE: Right to Information (RTI): Close to adoption! Editorial independence: None & needed Protecting journalists’ sources: None & needed

Laws inhibiting FOE (Emergency Regs, PTA, Official Secrets, sedition, contempt of court, Parliamentary privileges, etc.) Need comprehensive law review & reform!

New Faces of Censorship? State has power to impose prior censorship

but not frequently used anymore Post-war Lanka: high level of threats,

intimidation, physical violence against journalists and media organisations: Wide-spread SELF-CENSORSHIP Journalists fleeing Living in exile

Arbitrary blocking of political websites without any legal basis or court orders

Broadcasting in Sri Lanka: State and a privileged few use public airwaves!

State as sole broadcaster for decades Radio (1925 to 1992) TV (1979 to 1992) ITN started as private co but taken

over by govt within 3 months Partial ‘liberalisation’ of airwaves

started in 1992, but… FM radio & TV broadcasting licenses given

selectively to ‘friends’ of all govts since then = Looting of the Electromagnetic Spectrum!

Broadcast Regulation in Lanka: It would be a good idea!Urgently needed: independent & transparent regulatory system NOT for controlling editorial content, but… To ensure proper use of the Electro-magnetic

Spectrum, a public property To create a level playing field for ALL

operators (state, commercial, community) To transform state-owned broadcasters into

true public service broadcasters (PSB) To promote REAL community broadcasting

What really is Media Pluralism? The media in a country can be considered

pluralistic if they are: multi-centred and diverse enough to host an informed, uninhibited and inclusive discussion of matters of public interest at all times.

Increase in media outlets (i.e. mere diversity) does NOT always enhance media pluralism

Regulations can help promote media pluralism up to some extent…

But society can & must also demand it!

Can we evolve TRUE community media (beyond pervasive myths)?

Since 1980s, Lanka has had ‘community radio’ fully owned & operated by the state’s SLBC!

Legally set aside some frequencies for genuine community broadcasting – e.g. Thailand has 20% of FM band for community radio

Lower ‘entry barriers’ to broadcasting so universities, civil soc & comm groups can start localised radios?

Concern: Lanka’s FM band is now saturated!

Some don’t wait for reforms…They Just Do It!

Conventional media spaces restricted or dominated by ‘legacy media’

Web: seen & seized as alternative space for experimentation & innovation

Rising: web-only content making & sharing webcast radios e.g. Radio Kalutara

http://www.radiokalutara.com Podcasts, e.g. TechKatha

http://www.techkatha.com LEAVE THEM ALONE to find own niches!

Public Service Broadcasting… NOT a mouthpiece of

political party in office NOT all ‘boring’

educational content NOT content sanitised

by dull bureaucrats NOT driven by

commercial forces or advertising agendas

What really is Public Service Broadcasting (PSB)?UNESCO definition (widely accepted globally): Broadcasting that is made, financed and

controlled by the public, for the public. It is neither commercial nor state-owned, and

also free from political interference and pressure from commercial forces.

Through PSB, citizens are informed, educated and also entertained

Can Sri Lanka evolve true PSBs by transforming state-owned SLBC, SLRC & ITN?

Citizen ‘meme’ circulated on 9 January 2015 (The Day After Election)

How state-owned media have become govt propaganda outlets…

Before and After Presidential Election on 8 January 2015

How to ensure fairness and balance in ALL broadcast media content?

Media owners/Press Barons:Public interest or Vested interests? Market freedom allows: owning & operating

media as profit-making enterprises But…media ownership need special scrutiny In Sri Lanka: Media ownership details are not

transparent (true owners behind the scene!) Some media owners have other business

and/or political interests, which leads to: Influence peddling Doing private deals with state Money laundering

Print Media Ownership:How can we improve status quo? At a minimum: improve transparency in

media ownership by better public disclosure India: mandatory public disclosure (printed in

own newspapers, magazines) of publisher, editor and printer details on a regular basis

Should the state be involved in newspaper publishing at all? (broad-basing ANCL/Lake House ownership, as recommended for many media reform committees from 1990s)

Business viability of the Media… Production costs going up; LK market limited No tax concessions or import duty waivers

for media industry as a whole Discriminatory taxes affect some media:

2006 onwards: high duty on imported TV progs in English and Hindi

2015: direct-to-home sat broadcasters with more than 50,000 subscribers: LKR 1 billion

2015: sports broadcasters with 5 or more transmitting locations: LKR 1 billion

Sri Lanka: Total ad spend of LKR 77b in 2014 (mostly in mainstream media)

Source: NeilsenBased on monitored activities & rate card cost

Govt Advertising as ‘soft control’ Government as one of the biggest advertisers

Official notices for public information: needed Ruling party propaganda paid with govt funds??? Election campaigning by incumbent Presidents

Govt ads sustains much of state-owned media Govt ads also used for pvt media control

Sycophancy rewarded with lots of govt ads Critical media threatened with govt ad withdrawal Needless ads created just to reward some media?

Sri Lanka: Who decides on spendingLKR 77 billion/year advertising budget?

Who decides on this ad-spend across different media sectors and outlets?

Using what basis or criteria? Considering massive financial influence,

there is little or no public scrutiny! Highly secretive, subjective process? Challenge: How to balance free market

enterprise with more evidence-based allocation of ad budgets?

Advertiser pressures on media… To obtain favourable news coverage To suppress unfavourable stories To mislead the state and public Rise of public relations (PR) ‘advertorials’ Blurring of boundary between editorial

content & sponsored messages Journalists and editors often helpless Ad industry needs ethical code of conduct Advertising Standards Council?

How to improve media ratings and circulation figures?

Audited circulation by independent body (not any publisher) as done in USA, Europe, India

Have at least 2 robust broadcast ratings systems, competing yet both using transparent methodologies

In India, ratings companies are monitored by: Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), Indian Broadcast Foundation (IBF), Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI)

Better, safer conditions for all journalists & other media workers Extra-legal pressures and threats on Lankan

media personnel and media organisations continue to restrict their freedom to practice their profession without fear.

There are also rising levels of intolerance and extremism in society that mitigate again free and open discussion of ideas. As a platform for debate and messenger of news, the media comes under pressure from many fronts.

Hands Off Journalists & Media!

Assessing entity

Latest status assessment for Sri Lanka (2014)

Sri Lanka’s ranking details

Freedom House

Freedom of the Press 2014 status

Sri Lanka: Not freePress Freedom Score (0 = best, 100 = worst) 76Political Environment Score(0 = best, 40 = worst) 33

Freedom House

Freedom on the Net 2014 status 2014

Sri Lanka: Partly freeFreedom on the Net Total(0 = best, 100 = worst) 58

Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF)

World Press Freedom Index 2014

Sri Lanka ranked 165th out of 180 countries

Committee to Protection Journalists (CPJ)

Global Impunity Index (on journalist killers going unpunished)

Sri Lanka ranked 4th worst country for journalists (after Iraq, Somalia and the Philippines)

Media Practitioner issues: so much room for improvement!

Guaranteeing personal safety from physical violence, legal harassment

Safeguarding editorial freedom (from govt and/or pvt owners, also from advertisers)

Employment & income security (Many profitable media cos pay poor salaries: WHY?)

Promoting right to form/belong to trade unions and professional associations

Need for continuing education & training

Long-term investmentsMedia education and training

Review media education curricular at tertiary levels (universities and other)

Promote value and ethics based approach to media from education and training levels

Raise profile of continuing education and training in media industry HR policies

Knowing how media works is needed by ALL to live in modern societies!

Also Wanted, Urgently: Better Media Literacy in Sri Lanka!

Basic literacy high in Lanka, but mass media literacy & new media literacy still very low

Critically assessing media content: not yet a common habit (leaves much room for manipulation of public mind, e.g. done by state media during elections)

Many public myths & fears about new media Internet as a ‘tool of western domination’ Mobile phones as ‘corrupting youth’

Media reforms need a media literate public!

Conventional media structuresneed rethink and reform too… Owners, advertisers & paid media

practitioners produce media content (mostly passive) media audiences

Limited opportunities for audience engagement (letters to editor; phone-in shows)

Audience is taken for granted? Notion of ‘all-knowing’ media

‘informing’ & ‘enlightening’ mass audiences: MUST CHANGE!

Much of Lankan mediastill operateson this basis!

THIS won’t take us to a new era of inclusive & enlightening media!

Citizen Journalism (CJ) in 21st Century Sri Lanka…

Bloggers: 3,000+ in Sinhala, Tamil or English or mixed media

Blog aggregators: listing latest blog posts Twitter users: 100,000+ in Sinhala, Tamil,

English or hybrid (more joining everyday) Facebook: 2.4 million+ accounts (rising).

Only some using it in PUBLIC setting to discuss matters of public interest

Dedicated CJ websites: Groundviews, Vikalpa, Maataram, Boondi, etc.

Media Reforms Necessary, But Not Sufficient…

Enabling policies, laws and regulations can create better environment for media

But improving our media culture also needs… More integrity from media owners & practitioners Greater professionalism by all practitioners Unwavering commitment to the public interest Media houses practising what they preach to society

Everyone of us is part of the ‘media vehicle’Change begins with each one of us!

Can this ‘vehicle’ move forward?It’s up to all of us!

Ravaya columns online:http://nalakagunawardene.com/ravaya-column/

Twitter: @NalakaGBooks: http://nalakagunawardene.com/books/

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