Friday, 29 March 2024
Right to Information Bill is priority - Karunaratne Paranavithana

Right to Information Bill is priority - Karunaratne Paranavithana

Former diplomat and incumbent Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media and Information, Karunaratne Paranavithana, emphasized the importance of introducing a Right to Information (RTI) Bill in Parliament soon and said the initial work for the introduction of the Bill is currently underway.

Following are the excerpts:

Q: What are the immediate changes or programmes the ministry is planning on introducing?

A: The first and most important task at hand is the introduction of the RTI Bill, which is a long overdue. Many academics, journalists and members of the civil society have been asking about it. Even though various people lobbied for the introduction of the RTI Bill, the previous government vehemently opposed it. But, our ministry considers this to be of utmost importance, and the draft bill will be placed before Parliament on 20 February 2015.

Since this is considered as one of the key issues in the 100-day programme, both the Ministry of Mass Media and the Ministry of Justice are working together. Accordingly, Ministers Gayantha Karunathilleka and Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe have appointed a working committee to screen and select what should be included in the bill.

Q: Can you elaborate on the composition and mandate of this working committee?

A: The working committee is not finalized yet, but it will include 15-20 members fromboth sides. I am not in a position to reveal the names of the committee members as it is not yet finalized. However, what they would do is not drafting the bill, but would carefully assess and analyse all previous proposals and draft bills forwarded before. These include private members' bills moved by Ministers Karu Jayasuriya and Rajapakshe himself when they were opposition members. In addition, there is very comprehensive drafts done by the Law Commission of Sri Lanka and several civil and media organizations. The committee will also take into consideration, the available acts and laws in other countries like India. We will put forward the most progressive bill in Parliament.

Q: What are the salient points in the Right to Information Bill?

A: It will basically look at the avenues to provide for freedom of access to official information and will also specify grounds on which access may be denied, the establishment of the freedom of information commission and the appointment of information officers.

Q: It is a prolonged complaint that State media is being misused by the government, while others are being controlled in various ways. How is the ministry going to ensure State media will operate in a relatively unbiased manner?

A: We are determined to maintain freedom of the press. President Maithripala Sirisena has given clear instructions not to make State media institutions a political tool. We have to introduce a new culture and put even the heads of these media institutions through a process of brainwashing to end the prevailing habit/culture of using State media as government propaganda tools. We have given clear instructions to these media heads that there could be no threats, no intimidation, no bribes or most importantly no self-imposed censorship. We can slowly see that change taking place. There is unity and sanity prevailing.

Q: Are you trying to say that there will be no control at all?

A: As-far-as the media governance is concerned, we are receiving lots of complaints about malpractices, corruptions and abuse of the law by various media institutions and we are planning on appointing a high calibre inquiring officer who will quickly investigate all those allegations. This is especially for the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC), Rupavahini and Lake House.

Q: Do private institutions also come under this process?

A: No, they do not come under our mandate. Basically, these malpractices are taking place when allocating prime time belt to teledramas and other programmes and there had been instances where such airtimes being allocated after seeking bribes. These things have to come to an end and a proper procedure should be followed.

Q: Is this special inquirer being appointed as a part of the Press Council?

A: No. This is a completely different thing, and it will only be relevant to the administration or governance of State media institutions. Press Council is basically for complaints against the media and to ensure ethical and unbiased reporting. The ministry will ensure that the Press Council is functioning properly.

Q: There was a discussion earlier to introduce a fresh Code of Conduct for journalists in addition to the one already introduced by the Press Complaint Commission of Sri Lanka (PCCSL). Will this government go-ahead with that plan?

A: We are not the sole authority to introduce a code of conduct for journalists and in fact, the PCCSL code of conduct is very good and comprehensive. I was a journalist and I still carry in my wallet that little booklet which spells-out the Code of Conduct. As the Secretary, I or the minister cannot introduce an ethical code and we do not have power to do so. What we reiterate is that journalists should stick to professional reporting and follow ethical norms. We do not want to curtail media freedom by bringing in laws. Instead, we are asking journalists and media institutions to enjoy media freedom while keeping in mind the accepted norms of media ethics. I am very much for the PCCSL code of conduct and if we are to expand it let's sit together and discuss it.

Q: Journalism in Sri Lanka is not recognized as a profession and in fact, the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA) has refused to recognize it as a professional body due to various constraints. Is there a plan to introduce any criteria for individuals to enter the field, like a minimum qualification required?

A: This is a much debated topic. On one hand, yes, we must bring professionalism into journalism, and it should be a charted thing. On the other hand, by confining media personnel into that charter-based institution, you close the door to everyone else who is engaged in the social media networks. We have to first initiate a dialogue as to how we bring in professionalism to journalism and who a professional is. Basically, irrespective of whether you have certain education qualifications or not, what you must check is whether you are producing a good story following accepted norms of ethics. If you follow this and provide a clear, concise, complete and consistent story, then you are a professional.

Q: Compared to journalists in other parts of the world, our journalists have lesser opportunities to develop their professional skills. Is there any possibility of the ministry opening new avenues for them to expand and explore advancements in the field?

A: There are lots of technical advancements taking place in the industry. The previous government introduced digitalized broadcasting to the field. Project money was given and Cabinet approval has been granted and we are planning to go ahead with the project and viewers will be able to get clear pictures in future.

In addition, we are seeking ways and means to bring a proper collaboration and coordination into media education. We know the subject of mass media is taught in schools and at university levels but there is no proper collaboration. We will work with the Education and Higher Education Ministries to develop the curriculum.

Basically, my dream is to develop our journalism to that of developed countries and to work-out a plan to develop the field as a professional industry where journalists are well paid and equipped with modern technology.

BY Gagani Weerakoon

(Ceylon Today)