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Research Journal of the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka- Rohana 11, 2019

spokesman.

ITN Does not report incident.

S.L.R.C Does not report incident.

Analysis

First of all differences between the channels of the media in reporting this incident

should be identified. The following table shows the duration of each channel allotted
to this incident during the period of 10 days.

Table 3: Airtime allotted by 6 TV channels during a period of 10 days

Channel Sirasa Swarnavāhini Hiru Derana ITN S.L.R.C.

Airtime 46.38 40.26 35.56 33.58 15.5 11.40

It is the channel Sirasa which allotted the highest airtime for reporting this incident.

i.e., 46 minutes 38 seconds. The least airtime was allotted by SLRC, i.e., 11.40. The
three channels Swarnavāhinī, Hiru, and Derana to a great extent allotted a moderate

airtime for the above case. It was Sirasa which continuously furnished reports
concerning these incidents during the period of 10 days. S.L.R.C was the channel

least paid attention to the case. S.L.R.C. and ITN both state media establishments
commenced reporting the incident only on 01.08.2013 after the public uproar which

ended in one individual being killed on the spot and some 40 others injured by the

army. The aim of the two channels S.L.R.C. and ITN is to convince the spectator
that the government is not responsible for this occurrence, and that the armed forces

and the police are two parties free from guilt who interfered merely to safeguard

security, and that it is an event stirred up by JVP. Nevertheless, according to a
videotape of a spectator broadcast on 22.08.2013 by the channel Hiru what quite

clearly proved was at least 500 bullets were being fired by both the army and the
police within the relevant period 15 minutes and 44 seconds at the spot in question.

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