The Media culpability – Media reporting of today’s demonstrations outside Parliament!

Following my critique of the media and their misuse of their very real power in a democracy to influence public opinion, there will be another instance this morning outside Parliament as forces for, and possibly forces (paid thugs) stacked against the 19^th Amendment are likely to gather, and it is a question of assessing the situation before a senior police officer asks the Court to ban any demonstrations in a specified area like the main road leading up to Parliament or the grounds in front of parliament or some such designated area. 

A quick reminder of how media was grossly manipulated by the previous regime, that only permitted (in addition to the main media it owned or controlled) a certain TYPE OF REPORTING, so that the people were prevented from getting at the truth, or very near the truth, by this suppression.

We witnessed the shenanigans last week where after the desecration of the chamber of Parliament by squatting MPs performing acts that had nothing to do with Parliament (trying to protect a person, whom was NOT an MP and therefore outside of the jurisdiction of Parliament) who then went outside and made a spectacle which was reported extensively, where actually such a puerile spectacle should have been relegated to a minor part in the back pages and NOT as part of the main news.

It is as well to bear in mind present activity that gets reported that should not, and the amount of coverage is the responsibility of the various Editors and sub Editors when they get the pictures and report thereon. Their giving prominence to such activity is based on their assumption of what sells papers, (people’s lust for parliamentary thuggery) and back stage responsible written analysis of the obligation of the very same people to respect the sanctity of Parliament which was wholly absent as to imply it was not of interest to people with blood lust!

Given this background which I brought in to this essay, to illustrate how bloodthirsty the reporters and photographers will be in the morning for a fight, that the Rajapakse loyalist who wish to scupper this historic sitting in Parliament will come JUST TO CREATE A SCENE that the pathetic reporters for reasons above will be waiting to catch with visuals and reportage, hoping these incidents will take center stage when the  proceedings inside, and the debate for and against MUST take center stage, along with live telecast, even if some activity is stage managed by some unscrupulous MPs for their own MOB appeal.

It is with this background in mind, that even though the Prime Minister has encouraged people to come in support of this amendment to demonstrate along the streets in support of the 19^th Amendment in terms of restoration of Democracy and Good Governance, the Media will give the publicity to those who oppose such a move, where the voice cuts are for the filth, and the clean demonstrators of loyalists and civil society will get barely a mention.

I am afraid that due to the IDIOCY OF THE MEDIA, the police may have to take the step that the demonstrations, can disrupt the peace and safe passage of people to and from Parliament and restrict both camps, to areas outside this perimeter of conflict. SHAME!