The New Minister of Mass Media UNP Parliamentarian Gayantha Karunathilaka made this invitation while addressing the journalists on the occasion of assuming duties at the Ministry today.
The new Minister of Mass Media Gayantha Karunathilaka said that the media culture of state media deteriorated under the past regime. The general public were utterly disappointed about the way state media acted during the last few years. The language and the quality of programmes used were entirely improper for media. All state media institutions became the trumpet of the government and therefore the people detached from them. Likewise they withdrew from the government too. The Minister emphasised that he will not allow such a disaster to fall on this government.
He said the media culture should be changed immediately and his first duty will be to bring back state media to the correct path by appointing qualified persons to suitable positions. The quality of programmes and the language used in them too will be standardized, he added. Fhor this the professionalism of the journalists should also be upgraded by establishing new institutions as well as including the subject Mass Media in higher education sector. He said this cannot be achieved by merely giving lap tops to journalists.
The Minister further said that under the new Government's 100 day work programme, arrangements will be made to obtain the parliament's approval for the right to information act. This will pave the way for the public to obtain information regarding government activities through relevant Divisional Secretariats.
Participants on the occasion were Maha Sangha including Venerable Maduluwawe Sobitha Thero, former Minister of Media Keheliya Rambukwella, new Ministers Wijayadasa Rajapaksa, Rauff Hakeem, Secretary to the Ministry Kaurnarathna Paranavithana, Actg.DG of the Government Information Dept KWTN Amaratunga, Heads of Institutions coming under the purview of the Ministry and Journalists. (KH)
