චීනා ද? චීන ජාතිකයා ද?

Abstract

On May 30, 2023, Ada, Dinamina, Aruna, Divaina, and Lankadeepa newspapers reported on the legal proceedings related to a Chinese national who entered Sri Lanka using a forged passport. News reportage on the incident by Ada and Dinamina used the appropriate term "Cheena jathikaya" (චීන ජාතිකයා) in the headlines whereas Aruna, Divaina, and Lankadeepa used the derogatory term "Cheena" (චීනා) 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.