“සුද්දෝ ඩබලක්”? “විදේශිකයෝ දෙදෙනෙක්”? - "සුද්දෝ" ලේබල් කිරීම් අවශ්‍ය ද?

Abstract

On December 26, 2024, Dinamina and Aruna newspapers reported that two foreigners defrauded a gemstone merchant in Rathnapura. Dinamina used the derogatory term "Suddo dabalak" (සුද්දෝ ඩබලක්) in its headline, which promotes the marginalization of foreigners based on complexion and is considered unethical. In contrast, Aruna reported the incident ethically, using the appropriate term "Wideshikayo dedenek" (විදේශිකයෝ දෙදෙනෙක්). Media is advised to avoid such derogatory language, as it can foster xenophobic attitudes toward foreign nationals.