Rajpal Slams Journalism Awards For Rewarding Journalists Who ‘Betray Sri Lanka’
Rajpal Abeynayake-August 9, 2014
Editor of Rajapaksa state-owned newspaper, Daily News – Rajpal Abeynayake, has slammed the recently held Journalism Awards for Excellence and its organizers, accusing them of rewarding journalists ‘most adept at betraying the interests of Sri Lanka’s people’.
His editorial in today’s paper titled ‘Avoid Journalism Awards Meritocracy being replicated in foreign service’ has scoffed at the idea of the lack of meritocracy in Sri Lanka’s Foreign Service and has emphasized the country’s Diplomatic Corps does not need the kind of meritocracy that is celebrated in ‘some quarters of the journalistic firmament of this country’.
Referring to the information revealed by JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake this week in the parliament on persons not in the regular diplomatic corps being posted abroad to majority stations, the Daily News editor has gone on to state that although meritocracy refers to paper qualifications and abilities, it is also equally important to consider intangibles such as ‘loyalty, fealty of the people and integrity’.
“So then, what is there to do with a meritocracy that is so inimical to the ‘interests of the people and of nation?” he has questioned.Read More
Rajpal Was Awarded Columnist Of The Year In 2004 By Editors’ Guild: Will He Return The Award?
August 9, 2014
Rajapaksa state media Daily News Editor Rajpal Abeynayake who claimed in his editorial today (Saturday 9 August) that the Editors Guild had awarded journalists who were the ‘worst betrayors and purveyors of hate’ in the country was awarded by the same Guild in 2004.
Rajpal
According to the Sunday Observer of the same state media group Abeinayake now works for, Rajpal was awarded the BA Siriwardane Columnist of the Year for his column in the Sunday Times newspaper.
The award is also mentioned in the Abeynayake’s Wikipedia pagepresumably managed by himself.
In light of his editorial today Abeynayake must now either return the award or clarify if the Editors Guild presented awards to journalists in 2004 based on merit or loyalty to the nation.Read More
