“සිපගැනීමක්” ද? බාල වයස් ලිංගික අතවරයන් සැහැල්ලු කොට දැක්වීමක් ද?

Abstract

On June 04, 2024, Dinamina newspaper reported a case of sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl by a tuition teacher. The newspaper used a trivial headline containing the derogatory term “Gura” (ගුරා) and “Sipagath” (සිපගත්). However, in the content, Dinamina used more appropriate terms such as “Guruwarayek” (ගුරුවරයෙක්) and “Lingika Athawara” (ලිංගික අතවර) to describe the incident. Furthermore, mentioning the suspect's profession in the headline can promote marginalisation of the profession and is considered unethical. The media is advised to avoid using derogatory or trivial language that stirs up emotions and to adhere to ethical reporting standards.