Journalists should give up promoting hatred and embrace self-branding

• Professor Samarasinghe said journalists should give up traditional ways and adopt modern concepts such as self-branding

By Yohan Perera  

A paradigm shift in journalism where media personnel should give up their traditional roles and become creative players in the society was stressed by both the Minister in charge of media and a top academic over the weekend.  Media Minister Bandula Gunawardene and Dean of Business Faculty Professor Dinesh Samarasinghe stressed this change at the convocation of Sri Lanka Press Council on Saturday.  

“ I am a person who had suffered at the hands of the media which promote hatred,” Minister Gunawardene said.  

“ I visited a student’s hostel at a university in Sri Lanka some years ago when I held the portfolio of education. The students told me that they just manage to survive with the scholarship of Rs 2500. I then submitted a cabinet paper to increase the amount given to the students to Rs 3000. This situation was misreported by media that time and published a report quoting me saying one can survive with a monthly revenue of Rs 2500.People began to hate me ever since the reports were published. Even those who came to attack my house in May 9 last were shouting saying ‘let us assault the one who said people can survive with Rs 2500,” the Minister said.  

“ It is time media stopped promoting hatred and become more responsible. They should use modern technologies such as Artificial intelligence and change their ways,” he added.  
Professor Samarasinghe said journalists should give up traditional ways and adopt modern concepts such as self-branding. “One can promote himself or herself with social media. 
There are children in Sri Lanka who have YouTube channels. One could have his or her own talk show or make his own movie through social media tools. Artificial intelligence and other tools such as Google can be used creatively to give some value to the people. One can also brand oneself. Journalists can have their own news portal today rather than being traditional reporters,” he said.