බාලවයස් ලිංගික අපයෝජන සැහැල්ලු කොට වාර්තා නොකරමු!

Abstract

On June 27, 2024, the Dinamina newspaper reported an incident involving the abuse of a 15-year-old girl. It used a trivialised headline containing the term “biriya karagena” (බිරිය කරගෙන) but within its content, it used the ethical term "අපයෝජනය" (apayojanaya). The headline fails to recognise that the incident constitutes child sexual abuse and statutory rape. The use of such language is unethical, as it normalises the situation and obscures the seriousness of the offence. Media is advised to avoid derogatory or trivialising terms, particularly in sensitive and negative contexts, in order to uphold ethical reporting standards.