The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) has withdrawn from a committee appointed by the Ministry of Mass Media to draft a National Media Policy, citing contradictory statements by Ministry officials and a lack of clarity surrounding the initiative.
TEGOSL Secretary Mohanlal Piyadasa has said in a media statement: ” The attention of The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) has been drawn to public statements made by the members of a committee appointed by the Ministry of Mass Media to formulate a National Media Policy that The Guild is a participant to such a purported agenda.
The Guild has informed the Ministry that it has withdrawn its participation in the committee’s deliberations following contradictory statements being made by officials of the Ministry leading to a lack of clarity to the genesis and purpose of such a policy.
While reiterating its position as a joint signatory to a statement issued by the Sri Lanka Press Institute to the Minister of Mass Media, The Guild has stated its willingness however to participate in discussing an alternative to the Sri Lanka Press Council.”