“අමුතු නැටුමක්” ද? බාලවයස්කාර ලිංගික අපයෝජනයක් ද?

Abstract

On 10 January 2024, both Lankadeepa and Ada newspapers reported an incident involving the abuse of a 12-year-old girl by a dance teacher. Lankadeepa carried a trivializing headline, using the phrase “Amuthu Natumak” (අමුතු නැටුමක්), and the derogatory term "Gurek" (ගුරෙක්). Including a suspect's profession in headlines with derogatory language may contribute to the marginalisation of that profession. Even in cases involving serious offences, media is advised to maintain neutrality in their coverage and avoid terminology that negatively emphasises a particular profession. In contrast, Ada reported the same news in an ethical manner, avoiding trivialisation of the incident by using the appropriate term “Apayojanaya” (අපයෝජනය) and referring to the accused as “Guruwarayek” (ගුරුවරයෙක්).