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Dangerous laws under Press Council Act – Srinath Perera PC |
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2009-08-07 | 10.30 AM |
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President’s Counsel Srinath Perera says that there are dangerous laws included in the Press Council Act.
“Firstly the Press Council can force a journalist to reveal the source behind a story written. This could be considered as a step taken to suppress the media,” he said.
Perera made this statement during a press conference organized by the Platform for Freedom this week.
He said, “The government is controlling the media in a very organized manner. First we saw journalists being offered various perks to prevent them from informing the truth to the people. Since that step did not prove to be |
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quite successful, the government resorted to suppressing the media. I like to look at the most recent cases of media suppression.
“Although the Press Council has been in place since 2002, it was defunct since persons were not appointed to the Council. However, the President recently appointed seven persons to the Press Council and brought it to the point of activating it. Six of the seven members in the Council are appointed by the President. Only one person is appointed on an official basis and that is the Information Director.
“It is important for the journalist protect their sources. If there is no guarantee of safeguarding the source of information, then the media does not receive information under an oppressive government. For example, if I give story on irregularities taking place in the government to a journalist and if it is published and the journalist is later forced by the Press Council to reveal the source behind the information, may name would be given. I would then be compelled to decide not to give any information to the media.
“The other issue is that at least six of the seven members in the Council are political appointments. The Pres Council members have also been given the power to punish media personnel. According to the law we know, it is only the judiciary that has the right to punish a person. It is judges who make decision based upon the law and the natural course of justice that pass judgment in a court of law. However, members of the Press Council have no such experience. There is a possibility to use them to punish media personnel based on political reasons.
“Therefore it is clear that the Press Council is yet another move by the government to control media personnel. Free thinking people should be aware of this and act on it.”
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