Chinese scammers called Cheennu in Sinhala press

Abstract

On October 14, 2024, four newspapers reported on Chinese nationals being arrested for being a part of online scams. News reportage on the incident by Ada used the appropriate term "Cheena jathikayan" (චීන ජාතිකයන්) in the headline, whereas Divaina, Aruna, Lankadeepa, Mawbima, and Dinamina newspapers used the derogatory term "Cheennu" (චීන්නු) in the report. Media is advised against using such derogatory terms, especially in a negative context, as it can result in xenophobic attitudes towards foreign nationals.