Sri Lanka’s government has gazetted the Chartered Institute of Media Professionals of Sri Lanka Bill, proposing a statutory body to introduce and maintain professional standards across the country’s media sector, Newswire reported on Friday.
The legislation, published as a Gazette Extraordinary on June 5, 2026, would establish the Institute as a corporate body empowered to enrol qualified media professionals, conduct training programmes, hold examinations, carry out research, and enforce a code of conduct. The Bill says the Institute would also be authorised to collaborate with local and international media institutions.
Management would rest with a Governing Council made up of elected and appointed members drawn from the profession. Until that Council is formed, an Interim Council appointed by the Minister will oversee the Institute’s establishment.
The Bill defines media professionals broadly — covering journalists, editors, publishers, broadcasters, anchors, presenters, media owners, media managers, media educators, researchers, technicians, content creators and camerapersons.
Publication has been ordered by the Minister of Health and Mass Media, and the Bill will require parliamentary approval before becoming law. No timeline has been provided for the second reading or for the appointment of the Interim Council.
The gazetting comes against the backdrop of recurring friction between the government and individual broadcasters over content standards and licensing. Mass Media Minister Lal Kantha previously filed a formal complaint against Hiru TV over alleged misreporting, with the Mass Media Ministry opening an investigation into the channel’s licence earlier in the cycle. Sri Lanka also remained at 134th in the Reporters Without Borders 2026 World Press Freedom Index — gains attributed to changes in the legal environment have not yet translated into a top-100 ranking, and journalist groups will be watching how the Institute’s disciplinary code is structured before backing it.
