"චීනා" ද? "චීන ජාතිකයා" ද?

Abstract

On May 23, 2023, Ada, Dinamina, Mawbima, and Aruna newspapers reported on an incident where a Chinese national entered Sri Lanka using a forged passport. News reportage on the incident by Ada, Dinamina, and Mawbima used the appropriate term "Cheena jathikaya" (චීන ජාතිකයා) in the heading whereas Aruna 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.