Independent media activists snubbed a local television network which wanted them to criticise Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe for his hard-hitting speech directed at vested interests within privately-owned media.
Panellist at yesterday’s UNESCO-sponsored seminar on ending impunity for crimes against journalists, Sanjana Hattotuwa, said he turned down a request from the private channel to comment on the Premier’s speech.
“Open critic of, don’t often agree with and not card carrying fan of @RW_UNP. But when a leading TV station that attacks and demonises him incessantly, with little or no reason, asks me to comment on speech he made, I will refuse,” Hattotuwa said on twitter.
He said he believed another activist, Nalaka Gunawardene, who moderated a session at the UNESCO seminar had also declined to comment.
Senior journalist Amantha Perera too joined the debate saying the private channel was guilty of “pretty lousy journalism.”
“... tv station had a very specific question on @RW_UNP (Ranil Wickremesinghe) statement, why do you think he is wrong,? Pretty lousy journalism,” Perera said copying the conversation to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s twitter account too.