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PCCSL received over 160 complaints in 2013, says CEO
View(s):The Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL) received 163 complaints last year and opened a branch office in Jaffna to receive complaints, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the PCCSL said in his annual report for 2013.
He said the Jaffna office was opened on May 3, which is World Press Freedom Day, to enable the Security Forces and local politicians seek redress against wrongful news items, by way of mediation.
Kumar Nadesan: Chairman of the Board of Directors
The report was read out at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Commission held last Tuesday (July 15) at the Sri Lanka Press Institute auditorium in Colombo.
CEO Sukumar Rockwood further stated that the Sinhala press which comprises 39 per cent of the country’s newspapers attracted the majority of the complaints in 2013. He said that the Commission received the fullest cooperation from the respective editors to resolve these complaints swiftly and amicably.
He said that, as many as 353 complaints were resolved by the respective editors providing a ‘Right of Reply’ to aggrieved parties.
The report stated that four english language newspapers, however, did not cooperate with the PCCSL, which is a voluntary self-regulatory body of the Newspaper industry, having the support of the Newspaper Society, Editors’ Guild, Free Media Movement, Working Journalists Association and other media unions.
The CEO’s report said that the PCCSL’s autonomous Dispute Resolution Council headed by former Parliamentary Ombudsman Sam Wijesinha met bi-monthly to inquire into complaints that required their attention.
The report also stated that an All Island Essay competition conducted in conjunction with the Education Ministry and workshops for provincial journalists on ethical reporting, and for government officials and the public on the Editors’ Code, were conducted in Colombo, Avissawella, Kalutara, Jaffna, Ampara, Kilinochchi and Moneragala during 2013.
The CEO’s report states that the PCCSL celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, but an international conference to mark the event had to be postponed to January 2014 due to the Government’s request that it would clash with the holding of CHOGM last November.
Lankadeepa Editor- Siri Ranasinghe, Silumina Editor- Sundera Nihatamani de Mel, and Navamani Editor- M.N. Ameen were re-elected to the PCCSL Board of Directors by the PCCSL’s general membership at the AGM.
The other members of the Board of Directors representing separate media organisations are Chairman- Kumar Nadesan, Deputy Chairman- Sinha Ratnatunga, Nimal Welgama, Manik de Silva, Gnanasiri Koththigoda and Ms. Seetha Ranjini.
The PCCSL Secretariat includes Complaints Officer- Sinhala Print and Promotions Officer, Kamal Liyanarachchi, and Complaints Officer- Tamil Print Ameen Hussain.