By Colombo Telegraph –
Newly appointed editor of the Ceylon Today newspaper owned by DNA MP Tiran Alles, Hana Ibrahim has resigned from her position as trustee of the Free Media Movement, sources told the Colombo Telegraph.
Ibrahim was formerly Treasurer of the FMM and subsequently took over as a Trustee of the movement according to the FMM website.
Hana Ibrahim
Ibrahim was appointed as Editor of Ceylon Today after the summary sacking of former Editor in Chief Lalith Allahakoon by the management headed by DNA MP Tiran Alles on June 13th. According to FMM sources Ibrahim was using influence to prevent the FMM from reacting to the sacking of Allahakoon and senior cartoonist Wasantha Siriwardane.
In her editorial June 25, Ibrahim threatened media rights groups and all the media outlets that provided publicity to the said statements.
The editorial stated that: Ceylon Today has written to the Secretaries of the media rights organizations, the Free Media Movement and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association, refuting the content of their statements and informing that legal action will be instituted against them, as well as whoever provided whoever provided publicity to the said statements.
She tendered her resignation to the FMM seniors last week however after the FMM issued a media release expressing grave concern about Allahakoon’s sacking and the dismissal of Siriwardane, neither of whom have been issued termination notices so far. The management of Ceylon Today continues to maintain that neither Allahakoon nor Siriwardane were terminated despite Ibrahim’s installation as editor in chief and public announcements to that effect to the staff of Ceylon Today.
According to sources from within the newspaper Alles has been applying pressure on Ibrahim to quit the Free Media Movement for several months. The MP has also refused to allow his newspapers to follow the Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka Guidelines or grant his editors permission to join the Editors Guild of Sri Lanka.
As late as November 2011 Hana Ibrahim was the Sri Lanka country representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Related posts:
Senior Editors Of Ceylon Today Resigned In A Battle Over Editorial Independence
Persecution And Harassment The Editor Had To Face Was A Result Of Not Catering To A Partisan Agenda
What Went Wrong At Ceylon Today: The Editor In Chief Speaks Out
Resigned Ceylon Today Journalists Reveal Their Side Of The Story
Why Is The FMM Silent About ‘Ceylon Today’? By The Nation Editor
The sacking Of Ceylon Today Editor: Mainstream Morass By The Groundviews Editor
Working Journalists Association Condemns Ceylon Today Editor Sacking
Ceylon Today Saga: After Seven Days FMM Issued A ‘Soft’ Statement
Ceylon Today Saga :RSF Fears Politically Motivated Censorship In Sri Lanka
Ceylon Today Saga: The Management Speaks Out
Imdika / June 27, 2012
hold on, Hana has done a lot for media freedom than a lot of people. So go easy
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Nadine Gunaratne / June 27, 2012
As a Sri Lankan living in Europe, I have known that Ibrahim assisted genuine journalists under threat to secure safe passage- and that she continues to call for fair advertising policies that do not harm editorial independence. Strange and tragic that a quiet worker like her was taken to task over the past few days by those who have never lived under fear of a white van due to their journalism-or stood for the industry’s advancement.
After all, journalists should not take up PR jobs or diplomatic positions. Your call is different indeed!
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Ahangama / June 27, 2012
Hey, who are those fucking genuine journalists she assisted? can you say one name? what was her role? :) :) :) Don’t play foolish my friend! By the way how is Europe? Lokuda??? ;) Living essay? Are you a fucking genuine jorno as well?
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Sirisena Kodituwakku / June 28, 2012
This Hana looks an opportunist, her whole life work in State run Lake House. What kind of Media freedom she knows? LOL
Kade yanna honday. Never in a any free freedom protest until very recently, can any one provide any photo or any voice interview she gave to media?
// she continues to call for fair advertising policies that do not harm editorial independence.//
Where did she call? with Alles?? :) :)
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Imdika / June 29, 2012
google?
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