http://www.editorsweblog.org/print_newspapers/2006/11/sri_lanka_a_report_on_the_tamil_newspape.php#more
Sri Lanka: a report on the Tamil newspapers Thanks to Zacki Jabar, Deputy News Editor, The Island Newspaper, (in Sri Lanka) for this posting: a personal view about what happens in Jaffna and the Tamil areas. "The North - South divide, a direct result of Sri Lanka's ethnic war between the majority Sinhalese and minority Tamils has had an impact on the attitudes of both its southern and northern journalists. Deep scars have been caused by a 23 year old war, that has left nearly 70,000 people dead - Sinhalese ,Tamils and Muslims included. However,there are journalists on both sides of the divide who look at issues objectively, with a view to recording the events that unfold." "It would be too much to assume that Sinhalese and Tamil journalists and Muslim journalists to a lesser extent could report events especially killings ,without a degree of emotion. Contacts between northern and southern journalists exist and they do exchange information and articles, which depending on the policy of the particular newspaper may or may not be published. There is hardly any media freedom in the northern areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is fighting for a separate state in the North-East of Sri Lanka. Tamil newspapers published in theses areas are subject to LTTE strictures and "over stepping the limits" could result in death. Similarly newspapers published in areas under the control of the Karuna Faction in the East of the country cannot exceed its guidelines. Journalists who fail to abide by the "rules" do so at a risk to their lives (The Karuna Faction broke away from the LTTE in March 2004 and is now helping government forces in its battle against the LTTE). The "Thinakural", "Udayan" and "Valamburi" newspapers published in Jaffna in the North, are privately owned but they cannot be critical of the LTTE . The "Thinakural" daily has a circulation of about 45,000 while its Sunday edition sells around 60,000 copies. The sale of "Thinakural" in the East was banned by the Karuna Faction in August this year. The "Udayan", which is a daily newspaper has a circulation of about 20,000. "Valamburi", sells about 10,000 copies. "Namadinadu", which had a circulation of about 10,000 in Jaffna stopped publishing in August 2006, after its proprietor Siva Maharaja who was also a parliamentarian representing the Tamil United Liberation Front was gunned down allegedly by a paramilitary group. The pro LTTE newspaper "Elanadam" has a circulation of around 20,000 in the North and about 15,000 copies are sold in LTTE controlled areas of the East. The "Thinakadir", which was published in Batticaloa in the East,closed down after its office was attacked allegedly by a paramilitary group about three years ago. The Pro LTTE newspaper "Sudoroli" which was published in the East was banned by the Karuna Faction also in August this year. It had a circulation of around 10,000. "Thamiladi", a pro Karuna Faction newspaper commenced publication in the East about five months. On October 23, 2006, about 20,000 copies of a leading Colombo based Tamil Newspaper the "Virakesari", was burnt allegedly by the Karuna Faction at Kiran in Batticaloa. There is greater media freedom in the South compared to the North and East, but abductions and killing of journalists for over stepping the "limits" by armed gunmen occur in the South as well. The debate goes on, as to who the suspects are , but the finger has been pointed at paramiilitary groups and in some cases at southern operatives of both the LTTE and Karuna Faction. So it is in this atmosphere that both the southern and northern journalists strive to maintain contacts and exchange news and articles. Source: Zacki Jabar, Deputy News Editor, The Island Newspaper, (in Sri Lanka) -- Members of the ZESTMedia list exchange news and views about the media in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bhutan. Write to [email protected] If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTMedia by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ Get all ZESTMedia mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], OR, if you have a Yahoo! 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