Proposal for a national media guideline on ethical reporting of women and girl-children

Abstract

This briefing note proposes national media guidelines for ethical reporting on women and girl children. It draws on the long-standing work of Ethics Eye, which for nearly a decade has monitored Sinhala-language media and documented recurring patterns of coverage that normalise violence, reinforce harmful stereotypes, and discourage survivors from seeking justice. Building on these findings, the briefing note calls on the government to: (i) Draft and adopt survivor-centred national media guidelines and encourage their adoption by mainstream and digital outlets; and (ii) Allocate funds in the 2026 Budget to support training and capacity-building on the guidelines.