{"id":43620,"date":"2015-10-20T17:54:31","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T21:54:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=43620"},"modified":"2015-10-20T17:54:31","modified_gmt":"2015-10-20T21:54:31","slug":"mps-are-media-friendly-when-in-opposition-but-avoid-friends-in-the-press-after-they-become-govt-ministers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dbsjeyaraj.com\/dbsj\/?p=43620","title":{"rendered":"MP’s are Media Friendly when in Opposition but Avoid Friends in the Press after they Become Govt Ministers."},"content":{"rendered":"

by Prasad Gunewardene<\/strong><\/p>\n

The expansion of ministerial portfolios certainly undermined the value and status of Cabinet Ministers which was only 35 and quite adequate till 1989. It was late President Ranasinghe Premadasa who made the initial blunder by introducing a large number of ‘State Minister’ portfolios to please his confidantes. The 1978 Constitution does not provide for a category called ‘State Ministers’. It only has provisions for Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers and subject ministers. The first subject minister to be appointed for Coconut Industries by President J.R. Jayewardene was the late Harold Herath who was later elevated to Cabinet rank.<\/p>\n

When Members of Parliament are in the Opposition and others sit as backbenchers in the government, they are the best of friends of the media always seeking publicity from the media for their motions and adjournment\/oral questions in Parliament. As a then Parliament Lobby Correspondent I remember the late Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Nimal Siripala de Silva and late C.V. Gooneratne as Opposition MPs in the 1989 Parliament made friends with us to have their parliamentary material published. The trio would have certainly entered the Guinness Book of Records for raising the most number of Oral and Adjournment Questions asked in the history of all Parliaments if A.H.M. Azwer holds the record for the most number of interruptions in the House. Any journalist could contact them at any given time. All missed calls are returned. They knew that they needed the media in the long run for their political rise.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Over the past two decades with the numbers of ministers rising day by day, we see some earlier ‘friends’ of the hallowed chamber who have donned the ‘ministerial cloak’ evading the media whenever the media wanted to contacted them to get stories or seek clarifications. These men who earlier walked with their mobile phones in hand have now palmed those phones to their security men who are totally blind to the relationship between politicians and the media. When those ‘Friends’ change their attitude in that style, the loser is not the media but them. When that happens, the media is compelled to run stories without their comments. And, when such news reports are published those ‘Friends’ view the media as ‘Foes’. Such ‘Friends’ must read and study the political lives of amiable ministers of the past like Anandatissa de Alwis, Dharmasiri Senanayake, Lakshman Jayakody, K.B. Ratnayake, M.H. Mohammed, Anura Bandaranaike, A.C.S. Hameed, Ronnie de Mel, Gamini Dissanayake, Lalith Athulathmudali and Lakshman Kadirgamar to recall a few.<\/p>\n

Elected<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many politicians elected to Parliament today fail to understand the role of a journalist in democracies. Once they become ministers, some of them view the media as an enemy when the truth is published. Unlike early days in Sri Lankan politics, many politicians representing the people face allegations of corruption. Hence, they view the role of a journalist with suspicion all the time. The journalist is bound to inform the truth to the public to enable the audience to make educated choices. The role of politicians is to represent the people who elected them and ensure that the concerns of that electorate are considered, addressed, and, where appropriate, acted upon. That cannot be effectively done if that politician views the media and the journalist as an enemy.<\/p>\n

If the politician considers himself to the representative of the people who elected him, the journalist considers himself to be the representative of the ‘People’s Audience’ at country level to ensure that the politician performs his duty in an honest manner. Therefore, the journalist is bound to explore and cover issues that concern the readers. Diversity of voices and political opinions is the prerogative of the journalist to offer the best and truthful coverage in the political platform to inform the reader of what takes place in the political establishment that rules the country.<\/p>\n

Politicians should not view the media as a foe, but should work with better understanding to establish a cordial relationship as both serve the needs of the people. If the dialogue between the politician and the media enhances, it could offer rich opportunities to the people as they would be aware of debates in the political establishment. Some who have donned ‘Ministerial Cloaks’ may not have read local and international politics and political history? Former President of the United States of America, Thomas Jefferson who was the main author of the US Declaration of Independence once suggested that journalists were more important to society than politicians. If our ministers and politicians believe in what Jefferson suggested, the ‘Minister-Media’ relationship could have a greater impact to establish a fair and just society. Our ministers must also realize the fact that the term of office of a minister is only five years until he is re-elected at the wish of the people. The journalist has a duty by the people and the nation until he retires or dies. Till then, he has to seek the truth.<\/p>\n

Courtesy:Ceylon Today<\/em><\/p>\n

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by Prasad Gunewardene The expansion of ministerial portfolios certainly undermined the value and status of Cabinet Ministers which was only 35 and quite adequate till 1989. It was late President Ranasinghe Premadasa who made the initial blunder by introducing a large number of ‘State Minister’ portfolios to please his confidantes. The 1978 Constitution does not …<\/p>\n

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