How should the world’s armies respond to criticism or negative stories in the media? Well they could take note of the healthily robust approach demonstrated by Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence. They tackle critics head on! Check out a piece from their website below:

Mr. Iqbal Athas, stop insulting our soldiers’ sacrifices

A free press or media can only flourish in a free society. In today’s world what threatens free society is terrorism, irrespective of its root cause. Whether it stems from communalism or religious extremism, terrorism is indeed a threat to a free society and therefore to the freedom of the media. Unfortunately, in our country there are some self-appointed free media champions who do not seem to understand this. Perchance, they do not want to, because promoting terrorism may have become a lucrative business for them.

Mr. Iqbal Athas seems to be one such journalist who has been pandering to serve the needs of a ruthless terrorist outfit which is built on extreme communalism. Being a senior journalist and person who has earned lot of money and gained a reputation by writing defence columns to local and international print media, Mr. Athas’ recent work raises doubts whether he has been assisting in the psychological operations of the LTTE terrorists.

In his most recent article in the Sunday Times this week, which was headlined “Heavy casualties as battles in north intensify”, Mr. Athas has clearly attempted to hoodwink his readers on the actual defence situation in the north by shrewdly manipulating facts.

It is our duty to inform our viewers on the actual defence situation in the north, while asking them to question the possible motives behind Mr. Athas’ abominable attempt to desecrate the sacrifices of our soldiers.

Of course, this kind of no-nonsense approach outrages liberal defenders of journalism like the Committee to Protect Journalists:

We wrote to you on October 2, 2007, about written and verbal attacks that appeared on the Ministry of Defence’s Web site about Iqbal Athas, consultant editor and defense correspondent for the Sunday Times of Sri Lanka. The accusations effectively equated Athas’ journalism with terrorism, after he reported on setbacks the army faced in fighting with Tamil secessionists. The lengthy attack on Athas’ reporting accused him of “insulting our soldiers’ sacrifices” and claims his reporting “has been assisting in the psychological operations of the LTTE terrorists.” The article claims that “promoting terrorism had become a lucrative business” for Athas. Athas was awarded CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award in 1994.

I mean, anyone would think the MoD were picking on Athas! Not at all. They are scrupulous in attacking a whole range of journalists. Here’s their latest:

It has been observed that certain segments of media in Sri Lanka have been striving to tarnish the good image of those government officials directly involved in the war against terrorism. Purely on commercial interests, these sections of the media spin their own stories to suit their agenda and mislead the public.

In a recent article in the Daily Mirror, a writer blames army for not giving a decent burial to soldiers died in the battlefront. In that feature article, the Daily Mirror wants its readers to believe that army burns bodies of soldiers who sacrifice their lives in battle, an not send them home for funerals, to down play the casualty figures..

Defence.lk does not intend to provide any comment on this miserable story since its viewers may know the truth by simply inquiring from a soldier or somebody who has even the least knowledge of military matters.

Such stories may give some pleasure to a newspaper editor whose sole intention get better perks; but for a soldier who risks his life in the frontlines it certainly hurts to see how their sacrifices are desecrated by money hungry media industrialists.

The general public derives its perception of the wider reality beyond direct personal experience via the media. When the major media all sing a similar tune the public generally assumes it is being honestly informed. This is why terrorists’ organizations often invest their blood cash on media people. Such investments always provide propaganda bonanza for the terrorist outfits to further their cause.

Thus, what defence.lk wants to underscore is that this hateful media campaign against security forces will gain more vigour as the soldiers get closer to their noble mission; i.e.: to free the country from terrorism.

It is true not every one of our viewers may have the time or interest to become well-informed on the many issues and sort things out. Yet, they still may be aware that all these self assumed “Watch Dogs” always have a loud “Bark” but a little “Bite”. Today, these sections of the media are nothing more than big business and far removed from their role of informing the public. It appears that selling lies for money also comes under media freedom!!!

If you want more advice on how to toughen your military’s online response to defeatist media, just get in touch with your local Sri Lankan embassy. They’ll be sure to help!