The Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka Bill has been tabled in Parliament, Daily Mirror reported on July 23, advancing legislation that press-freedom organisations had earlier urged the government to withdraw.
The Bill would establish the Institute as a statutory professional body vested with powers to introduce, develop, maintain and monitor professional standards across the media sector. According to Daily Mirror, it would also prepare a code of conduct to enforce professional discipline among members, enhance the skills and practical training of members and students, and liaise with local and foreign institutions pursuing similar objectives.
The proposed law defines “media professionals” broadly, covering journalists, editors, publishers, broadcasters, anchors, presenters, media owners and managers, educators, researchers, technicians, camerapersons and content creators.
First gazetted on June 5 by the Ministry of Health and Mass Media, the Bill provides for a 15-member Governing Council — eight elected and seven appointed — to administer the Institute, with an Interim Council named by the Minister overseeing its establishment until that body is formed.
The tabling comes despite sustained opposition from within the media community. The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association demanded the draft’s immediate withdrawal in June, warning that its ministerial appointment and disciplinary powers would create “a police to punish journalists” rather than protect editorial independence. The Sri Lanka Press Institute and the Collective for Social Media Declaration raised similar concerns, arguing the sweeping definition of “media professional” could draw ordinary online content creators under the authority’s disciplinary reach.
There is no indication the government revised the text before presenting it. The Bill requires parliamentary approval before it can become law, and no date has been set for the second reading.
