Is news website registration a media repression?

Mar 19, 2016

The Sri Lanka Professional Journalists Association says news websites should not be registered. Its president Lasantha Ruhunage says the ‘Yahapaalana’ government too, was following the news website registration regulations introduced by the former Rajapaksa administration. He was speaking at the launch of a website for the Tamil Media Forum.

Websites that do not get registered as per government statements will be treated as unauthorized websites, he said, adding that such websites could face disruptions. The web media cannot be stifled.

 

Although Ruhunage says so, the previous regime blocked several news websites and intimidated, both officially and unofficially, the web media institutions and the persons in charge of them.

 

According to statements issued by the Media Ministry, news website registration is not mandatory. Websites will not be prevented from operating without registration.

 

Deputy minister of media Karunaratne Paranawithana says web media personnel too, should get the facilities given by the government and the Government Information Department and enjoyed by other journalists. A registration of the websites will facilitate that task, he points out.