"ගංජාකාරයා" - මාධ්‍යට උචිත ද?

Abstract

On January 2, 2025, Lankadeepa newspaper published a report on the arrest of several individuals during a raid where a man was caught with marijuana. In the report the suspect is identified as "ganjakaraya" (ගංජාකාරයා) which is used to describe persons addicted to drugs and drug traffickers. Use of such derogatory terms in media reporting is discouraged as these terms can label and discriminate, resulting in stigmatisation of such individuals. In addition, the report also highlighted the arrest of women in the subheading when both women and men have been arrested over an offence, stereotyping women and assigning more blame to them. Media ethical guidelines recommend gender sensitive reporting, aiming to portray all genders fairly and without bias.