Wijeya editors call for Champika’s removal

Tuesday, 10 September 2013 

Editors of Wijeya Publications have requested the owner of the company, Ranjith Wijewardena to remove the editor of Wijeya’s Daily Mirror newspaper, Champika Liyanarachchi since she was violating the principles of ethical journalism and acting according to her will.

The rest of the editors of Wijeya Publications have made the request following a story published on page 8 of the Daily Mirror newspaper under the title, “Beware of this conman.” The photograph published in the story was one of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe. There had been no connection with Wickremesinghe’s photograph and the contents of the article.

The Daily Mirror Editor has said that the photograph was carried with the article due to a mishap in the type setting department of the newspaper.

However, every page of the Daily Mirror newspaper are sent for printing once the editor has had the final look at the page and placed her signature.

The Opposition Leader has instructed his lawyers to file a defamation case against the newspaper demanding Rs. 1 billion in damages. When the management had called for an explanation from the Daily Mirror editor, she had said it was a small technical error.

Hearing this incident, President Mahinda Rajapaksa had telephoned Ranjith Wijewardena and said in lighter vein, “Don’t know if my photograph will also be published along false articles.”

Given the disgrace that has befallen Wijeya Newspapers due to the Daily Mirror editor’s foolish actions, the rest of the editors in the company have in writing requested the management to remove her from the post.

Editors of The Sunday Times, Sinha Ratnatunge, Daily Lankadeepa, Siri Ranasinghe, Sunday Lankadeepa, Ariyananda Dombagahawatte,  'Ada' editor, Kanchana Dasanayake  and Daily FT, Nisthar Cassim and senior editors in the newspapers have signed the letter.

When a former deputy editor of a newspaper of Wijeya Publications, who is now an editor of a newspaper, had inquired about the incident from Daily Mirror Editor Champika Liyanarachchi, she has said she was ready to leave the post of editor at any time. She had said that director, Sujan Wijewardena had refused to accept her resignation letter when it was handed over to him on several previous occasions.

Freelance journalists of the Daily Mirror newspaper say that the newspaper’s editor is more responsible to the Defence Ministry than the management of Wijeya Publications.

Therefore, the Opposition Leader has said in parliament that the Daily Mirror editor lacked a proper backbone.
The names of senior journalists Lalith Alahakoon and Iqbal Athas have been proposed to the post of Daily Mirror Editor when the post falls vacant.