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Aiming a balanced functioning between the private channels and public service broadcasters in the region is the key theme of this event. President Mahinda Rajapaksa while welcoming the decision to hold the two-day session in Sri Lanka, said in his message that he was a strong believer of the role the media could play a meaningful role. "I strongly believe in the significant role the media of the SAARC region can play as a vehicle for social change. The members of the SAARC should not disappoint the people of the region in achieving their aspirations for peace, progress and harmony," President further stated in his message. Minister of Mass Media and Information, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa addressing this significant meeting expressed his deepest pleasure in interacting with this conclave of senior South Asian media persons. The minister urged the media heads gathered, to work ensuring that the talent, content and the technology of this enterprising subcontinent are jointly exploited, creating a powerful South Asian entertainment industry –one that can advance the region and influence the world.
Minister in his message said that he has
noticed that SAARC media heads, during their previous meetings have
developed a reputation as a forum that generates new ideas and is
committed to implement them. Further, the fact that the group is meeting
here today indicates that SAARC cooperation in the field of media has
taken off rather smoothly. He further explained that "Liberalisation of the economies in the region has opened the floodgates to a media explosion. Raking in revenues through advertisements seems to be the top priority and unfortunately ratings have become the sole purpose of media operations in most of the media institutions. Dominating media conglomerates benefit from an influx of capital investments. There is commoditisation of news. Allegiances are switched to pandering to the elite that court and pampers the media, regardless of the ideological moorings," Further in his speech the minister said that the countries in this region are in different stages of politico-economic experiments and have had their share of failures and successes in implementing the development plans, entailing an unequal distribution of political and economic resources amongst the masses. Hence has resulted in an assault on their rights at all levels. "In such circumstances, the role of the media in bringing to light all types of injustices assumes paramount importance," Mr. Yapa said. "The role, or the intrusion, of the media in the functioning of SAARC countries is now irreversible. One has to learn to accept this reality," he further stated.
Minister Yapa pointed out that people of
South Asia are politically mature and aware. And that they should not be
rated as unthinkingly compliant, and ready to forever accept what is fed
to them. Disinformation, misperceptions and prejudices may hold sway for
a while, and do some damage. But eventually, they know how to sift and
process information, how to interpret messages they receive, and
eventually their collective wisdom perceives the truth. He added that there is also an imperative need to evolve model guidelines on transnational satellite broadcasting in the region and cooperation in exchange of information between national news agencies of eight member countries. As already agreed at the last meeting of SAARC media ministers, SAARC Information Centre should be established and the Centre could maintain a database for the SAARC region covering economic, social, media including establishment of a library of various programmes on core areas of cooperation. "South Asia is a unique subcontinent and SAARC could develop a coherent economic space where each region and country can be proud of its individual contribution, and an exceptional, multifaceted identity that easily merges and changes from one village to another, and then from one country to another, without resort to conflict or confrontation. "I am afraid that in this competitive era, there is a media tendency to go to any extends to get good ratings. In this game of one-upmanship development issues and human security issues are not treated in-depth and as a result investigative reporting - still in an incipient form in the sub-continent - gets low priority," said minister Yapa. Minister continued to comment on the growth of the television industry in near past stating that "In the last two decades TV growth in South Asia could be the fastest in the world. The media now constitutes a resource for education, development and reform. Information and communication technologies are beginning to transform life in our villages, bringing news and knowledge to millions. Information is an empowering resource, the means for us to exchange experiences on best practices in our many paths to development."
The minister said in that case, the SAARC
media cooperation is essential to cover regional political, economic,
security and cultural matters focusing attention on issues pertaining to
collaborative opportunities in communications, agriculture, energy,
water, education and health and cater to economic and information needs
of the people of this vast subcontinent. Minister firmly stated that "It
is admitting that we can prosper together, for we are one geopolitical
region, a region of extra-ordinary and interwoven ethnicity, cultures
and languages," Courtesy www.news.lk
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