To Register Or Not To Register
by Ashanthi Warunasuriya- Saturday, March 19, 2016
The government’s decision to call for the registration of news websites has caused a stir in the industry. The government claims that they were responding to requests for registration by news website owners themselves. The government recently published advertisements in newspapers informing the public and relevant stakeholders of this decision. Media organisations, media freedom activists and others have expressed concern that the government’s decision is an attempt to limit media freedom. Others, while agreeing with the principle of registration, have expressed other concerns.
Following are some of their views:
Registration fee should be reduced
Freddy Gamage, Convener, Professional Web Journalists Association
Even when the former government was in power, we said we were not against registering websites. We are only asking that we are entitled to all relevant privileges and rights. Our main request has been that the registration fee be reduced but it has not happened yet. If we are to receive the privileges that other journalists enjoy, we should get registered first. Our association is now preparing a code of ethics for web journalists. Only those who agree with it can obtain membership. With that procedure we will forward a system to have self-discipline in our reporting.
If we want to take web journalism to a professional level, we have to agree with the new proposal. The Deputy Minister clearly stated that they brought in the registration in order to provide official status for news websites. Today most of the news websites do not receive official news. They do not receive invitations to government press briefings. They do not get concessions that other journalists receive such as media ID cards, subsidies for motorbikes and so on. By registering, we should be entitled to receive these privileges and media journalistic rights.
