News is a story, it is all in how you tell it. News First tells it so that the government is the villain while the most ruthless terrorist organization in the whole wide world is …, … well the hero!
Here is a recipe for proving this: (requires some volunteers with a considerable amount of time and effort)
Step 1)
For at least two weeks, listen to/view the main News First program.
Record the news items related to the LTTE terrorists problem; note the exact wording used, visuals displayed, time assigned to each news item.
Step 2)
During the same period, in a similar fashion, record the news items of:
The primary state controlled media channel (to get the official government version of each news item)
– Rupavahini (because it is somewhat more moderate than ITN)
The three other leading news channels (to act as a base in reviewing News First)
– Swarnavahini
– ITN
– Derana
Step 3)
Compare the reporting.
For the same news item, compare how each channel has presented the story.
These are the parameters:
Dedicated airtime, statements made on the story.
Write down the subjective observations on the tone of the presentation and implicit political angle of the reporting.
Get answers to the following:
- What news items are not reported in News First but are reported in other channels?
- Is their anything special about those stories?
- In the same news item, are their parts that News First doesn’t cover?
- Is their a pattern in this selective coverage and omission of reporting?
- Is their a pattern in the nature of news items getting more airtime versus items that don’t?
- How does News First refer to the LTTE terrorists?
– Do they ever use the word ‘terrorists’ against the LTTE at all? - Compare their use of titles and honorifics to the President and Ministers (or the lack of it) versus LTTE terrorists (or the abundance of it).
Step 4)
Compile the findings in to a short report.
This would be a statistically and factually valid report verifiable against the actual physical recordings of the news programs.
If the report indicated that News First is definitely not pro-terrorist but a truly neutral entity, then good for them and a huge apology would be in order from all the foolish conspiracy theorists.
On the other hand if it indicated that Sirasa News First might, just might be inclined towards furthering the course of the world’s most ruthless terrorist outfit, then action needs to be taken.
Not violent (and ultimately counter productive) action but peaceful and democratic action.
Legal action against them wouldn’t work because they are not doing anything illegal.
Since LTTE is not currently a banned organization in Sri Lanka, because of the outside hope of them returning to peace talks, News First does not have to call those terrorists, ‘terrorists’. And they do not have to make a distinction between Mr. Nadesan and Mr. Rajapakse at all. And unlike the other private channels, they do not have to “not prominently feature the terrorist leaders’ heroes’ day speech in their program”.
It is all just un-patriotic, but none of that is a crime.
So what action is available?
Simple, just copy the strategy from News First’s own “Action TV news segment” (This actually is excellent- News First is good in every way except being possibly pro-terrorist)
Bring the facts to the open- by doing so, embarrass/force the responsible parties to remedy the situation.
The responsible parties are:
1) News First director.
2) Government media minister
3) Defense secretary
4) President’s secretary
The content of the report (described above) and results of further investigations arising out of the interest created by that first report, can be: published online and in news papers, spread across the blogsphere, and used as material by anti-terrorist lobbyists such as the National Movement Against Anti-terrorism, JVP, and the JHU.
If this is done properly, the best case scenario is:
News First gradually reducing their pro-terrorist inclination (They would never admit to being ever pro-terrorist).
I hope that there are at least some result oriented patriots out their willing to join this fight against “media support for terrorism”.
And please remember that this fight of words and ideas is every bit as important as the fight done with guns and motors.
Lakbima Blog 
February 7, 2008 at 4:32 am
Don’t you think , if there are at least some result oriented patriots out there, they should join the Army instead? If not, at least, do some welfare for veterans or something like that?
Just a thought…
February 7, 2008 at 6:35 am
everyone can see where sirasa is without going into that much trouble though it would be good if we have a detailed report.
btw though one cannot compare fighting terrorists directly with fighting ltte propaganda, it is important. and even ordinary ppl can contribute
February 7, 2008 at 7:54 am
Sam,
>> if there are at least some result oriented patriots out there,
>> they should join the Army instead?
Not everybody can join the army.
The fight in the jungles of Wanni is crucial- terrorists are slowly but surely loosing on that font.
The fight for the hearts and minds of people (Sinhalease, Tamils, international community) is as important- sadly in this front terrorists are still holding strong.
Not just Sirasa/MTV/Shakthi News First but a whole lot of other players are (arguably) fighting on the side of terrorists.
Fighting all forms of pro-terrorist propaganda effectively is an integral part of defeating terrorism.
Consider: In US or UK, are their any media glorifying Al-Qaeda?
What would the US government have done if Sirasa News First was the CNN and the LTTE the Al-Qaeda?
So not all result oriented patriots have to join the army.
There are other battles they can fight.
Sri Lankan armed forces are already very strong- they have the right leadership, and they are highly motivated. Terrorists are simply no match for them.
But “everybody” still tells the government that “Tamil people have grievances just because they are Tamil and hence there can not be a military solution for the north-east conflict”. Hypocritically, they tell us “negotiate with terrorists” when the government has already jumped through every hoop trying to do just that!
How the heck did “everybody” figure this out?
Because of the terrorist propaganda plus the anti-patriotic and defeatists attitudes (LTTE is invincible, Army and politicians are corrupt, Sri Lanka is gong down the drain, pluck what you can and get out, …) poured over the years to the public/international community, though media channels such as News First, the rest of that pack., and the short-sighted opposition who can’t understand the concept of national solidarity.
So can a patriot fight terrorism and help create a Sri Lanka where Sinhala and Tamil brothers and sisters live side by side in harmoney sans terrorists, without joining the army?
YES!
Lot of people are already doing just that on the Nets.
Of course no NGO funds that effort.
By the standards of the Sri Lankan blogsphere it is not yet even “cool” to be anti-terrorist.
But the truth has a way of coming out, sooner or later.
Sam,
>> If not, at least, do some welfare for veterans
>> or something like that?
Yes, by all means.
February 7, 2008 at 8:12 am
sittingnut,
>> everyone can see where sirasa is without going into that much trouble
>> though it would be good if we have a detailed report.
Yes.
Everyone can see that.
But some people have their “eyes wide shut” and just because it is obvious it is not actionable.
There needs to be documentary proof.
Sometimes people need their noses rubbed in the truth in order to see it.
The best way to do this is for someone to start a website dedicated to documenting media reports related to terrorism. A website where participants can edit (input today’s evening news items) is ideal- something on the lines of Wikipedia. Any volunteers?
So yes, ordinary people can contribute as well.
In fact, it is best done by ordinary people because then it wouldn’t be interpreted as an encroachment to media freedom but as an exercise in assuring the right of the people to know the truth.
February 7, 2008 at 9:14 am
[…] Read part 2 of this post […]
February 7, 2008 at 12:41 pm
why even bother..we all know Sirasa is funded by Tamils supporting the LTTE.. so lets save all our time and hope some “thugs” come and burn the place down eventually..
February 7, 2008 at 2:23 pm
Hero,
🙂 but that’ wouldn’t solve the problem, only compound it.
Plus it is unbecoming of peace loving citizenry.
Violent reactions are always counter productive.
Path of non-violence is the way to go.
Bring the facts to the open. Let’s initiate a dialog among people on this.
If somebody unleashes violence on them, they would be the victims and not the perpetrators of separatist ideology.
We don’t want that to happen, do we?
February 10, 2008 at 6:35 pm
“we all know Sirasa is funded by Tamils supporting the LTTE.. ”
I have not seen the finances of Sirasa but advertising revenue is usually the prime source of funds for the media.
January 6, 2009 at 9:39 am
[…] before jumping to these pre-cooked conclusions as prepared by the terrorist-lover hands behind Sirasa News First, let’s try to find out the answer to the age-old question in crime investigation: “who […]
January 7, 2009 at 9:02 am
I see the this blogger himself/herself is a beneficiary of the Sirasa attack.
January 28, 2009 at 5:45 am
Sirasa may have its flaws, but it does not seem to be a good thing to marginalize SIRASA for being partisan. They are a media firm, and in a democratic country that respects the freedom of expression (at least in theory), they should be allowed to practice their electronic journalism the way they deem suitable.
If one watches SIRASA news, especially the news reports related to the ethnic conflict, politics and state defence, they certainly differ from the state-owned media and other private media groups, but I believe that this very ‘difference’ is essential for the country. The Sri Lankan state is strong enough to protect its interests, which has been made amply clear in its exemplary management of the military forces. Therefore, one private media organization should not be seen as a threat to the state or to national security. Besides, the contemporary Sri Lankan political sphere is marked by different interest groups, often divided by lines of ethnicity and religion. In such a context, the citizens should be given the opportunity to read and watch a wide range of print and electronic media, which offer different readings of the political situation of the country. This HAS to range from the state-run media to private media like SIRASA News 1st, to more radical elements of dissent, which have been notably represented in Sri Lanka by newspapers such as the Sunday Leader and Ravaya.
It is totally misleading to contend that silencing media on the grounds that they are detrimental to national security. This is not only a totally false and baseless view, but is also very dangerous to the future of our youth, whose openness to contrary views and dissent will be dramatically reduced. On the contrary, the presence of media networks such as SIRASA should be appreciated, and they should be allowed to continue their reporting without any hinderance. It enables people to hear a different view, a different reading of things. Agreeing or disagreeing is totally up to each individual viewer.
January 28, 2009 at 5:49 am
A little addition to the previous comment….
The first sentence of the last paragraph should read:
‘It is totally misleading to contend that silencing media on the basis that they are detrimental to national security is justifiable’.
January 28, 2009 at 9:28 am
[…] an article published in a blog (“Lakbima Blog: A voice of reason from Sri Lanka”) on 6 February 2008 on SIRASA’s news bulletin the author strives to demonstrate that […]
November 7, 2011 at 3:18 am
Tamil Jokes…
[…]Sirasa News First a promoter of terrorism? (Part 2) « Lakbima Blog[…]…
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