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Internet and media freedom : a study of media censorship in Sri Lanka and the effectiveness of web-based rebel media

journal contribution
posted on 2017-12-06, 00:00 authored by Kasun Ubayasiri
Sri Lanka, the former British colony of Ceylon, is the theatre for one of the world's longest and bloodiest civil wars. For more than two-and-ahalf decades the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have fought to secure a separate Tamil state from the country's predominantly Sinhalese government. However, the reportage of the conflict has remained a monopoly of the government and the pro-Sinhala mainstream media. This paper argues that alternative media such as the Internet has given the LTTE and pro-liberation supporters a media outlet which is not easily censored, shut or distorted by governments and mainstream media groups. The alternative rebel media, however, does not imply an emergence of media freedom in Sri Lanka, and merely suggest the availability of an outlet for 'news'usually not supported by mainstream media. The paper does not necessarily support either the Eelam cause or the Sri Lankan government, and merely identifies the reasons for, and observes the successes and flaws of, web-based pro-Eelam media.

Funding

Category 1 - Australian Competitive Grants (this includes ARC, NHMRC)

History

Issue

12/13

Start Page

62

End Page

81

Number of Pages

20

ISSN

1326-365X

Location

Wollongong

Publisher

Asia Pacific Media Educator

Language

en-aus

Peer Reviewed

  • Yes

Open Access

  • No

External Author Affiliations

Faculty of Informatics and Communication;

Era Eligible

  • No

Journal

Asia Pacific media educator.

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