He was commenting on the remarks made by the released individuals arrested over the Seya Sadewmi murder.

The Minwuangoda magistrate yesterday ordered to release the first two suspects of the case - a 17-year old and father of one after it was found their DNA samples do not match with the case.

Remarking, the suspects have said that the media had 'beheaded them' without thinking twice, while the Kotadeniyawa police needlessly 'took them to the guillotine.'

Commenting, Mr. Rupasinghe said that the last few weeks opened up a fine opportunity to study the conduct of local media.

Competition
Mr. Rupasinghe added that the media attempts to report all details pertaining to such incidents.

With the prevailing competition in the field, everyone is pushed to find the most details they can. In this backdrop, failure to observe media ethics can be seen, he added.

Source
Despite the reliability of sources, reporting without assessing the importance of the facts and the impact it can have, can also be observed, he added.

Hurried reporting can also lead to misreports, he further said.

"Media should be more cautious with regard to the priority they should give to a piece of information just because they receive a lead. Also, the difference between a suspect and convict should be realised. Media should also consider how prudent it is to reveal the identities of suspects."

Media ethics
When reporting on a minor, revealing his / her identities is a blatant violation of media ethics. However, media continued to reveal details of the 17 year old former suspect of the Seya Sadewmi murder case. This can be identified as a negative point in local mass media, he said.

"Take for instance the reporting of the rape and murder of the Indian medical student recently. Not even a clear photograph of the victim was published. But if someone is murdered in Sri Lanka, even the wedding photo of the victim is published and the family members are made to pose around the dead body."

Guidance
The majority of public is inclined to view such graphic details. However, although most media is interested to cater to this demand, that should not be their task, Mr. Rupasinghe said.

Instead of meeting with the popular demand, they should provide guidance to the society, he added.