To many, the arrest of journalist Tharindu Uduwaragedara is just another act of State-backed oppression against the media and media personnel and anti-Government forces, for which many blame the Government and the Government led Police force. What followed his arrest was a wave of online anti-Government protests and dialogues, which are now the main topic in many spheres.

Government backed oppression against dissenters is not the only concern here. As videos of Uduwaragedara’s arrest, which showed him being harshly manhandled by Police officers while he kept claiming that he was a journalist who was covering the protest during which he was arrested, attest, Uduwaragedara’s identity as a journalist also became a major concern. That is because although he kept yelling that he was a journalist, seemingly to avoid arrest, he did not present any identity card, which some Police officers that arrested him demanded, in order to prove that he was one. Some claim that Uduwaragedara’s identity card, which was allegedly in his purse, was snatched by the said Police officers. 

Regardless, whether a journalist needs to have a Government issued identity card to prove his profession has become the main discussion arising from Uduwaragedara’s arrest, regarding which popular journalists commented that making it mandatory for journalists to obtain a Government issued identity card is questionable. Their main argument is that the Government receives a certain unwarranted power to control the journalists’ role and duties based on Government issued identity cards, and  that poses a serious threat to the free media nature, and in the current context, even to journalists’ lives. Pro-Government parties, on the other hand, have raised a question of credibility and responsibility on the part of journalists that do not have a recognised identity card, which they claim paves the way for any person to gain undue advantages claiming to be a journalist.

The concept of the Government issuing journalist identity cards is not such a simple matter. While instances of journalists misusing their position as journalists, including Government or workplace issued identity cards, are not unheard of, especially during the Covid-19 lockdown season, as in every profession, journalists too should have some form of identity card that attests to their personal details and the media outlet for which they work. Such could afford them a number of benefits including protection when covering tense situations such as protests and also a certain recognition that helps them to obtain the information that they need as journalists. In a context where the media sector is evolving rapidly, which has allowed a large number of unconventional forms of communication to emerge as the media, such formal recognition is necessary. 

However, we cannot neglect the gravity of the alleged unwarranted interventions by the Government through Government issued identity cards as perceived threats, because successive Governments have a very negative track record concerning dealing with media. Therefore, what needs to be done is removing the Government’s influence from the process of issuing identity cards, not downplaying the importance of the professional recognition and protection that comes with such an identity card. Leading industry bodies representing the print, electronic and digital media need to come forward and claim their right to recognise journalists. To reduce the Government’s influence in defining a journalist, a system through which the said industry bodies issue identity cards for journalists in collaboration with the Mass Media Ministry, needs to be introduced. Establishing a dedicated, neutral body would be the best solution. In addition, industry bodies also need to take into account how journalists have been treated unfairly and illegally in the recent past, and take practical measures such as raising awareness among journalists and providing them with safety gears. Holding talks with the Government regarding journalists’ safety will also be beneficial in the long run.

At the same time, we cannot ignore the responsibility and accountability aspects of this issue. While there are varying opinions as to whether Uduwaragedara was present at the said protest as a journalist or as a protester, unless participating in a particular protest constitutes being part of an illegal assembly, the country’s laws that apply to journalists and protesters are not very different. In this context, journalists need to be aware of their rights as well as their limitations as citizens, and most importantly, they should accept the fact that being a journalist does not exempt them from having to adhere to the country’s laws, which is the case even in the international context. Recognised media associations, representing different categories of media, should come up with a common guideline on how journalists should cover protests and where the line needs to be drawn regarding their participation as members of the said assembly and not as impartial recorders. 

What is more, the Police also need to be directed to enforce the law, instead of creating and bending laws in order to arrest those whom they feel are a threat. This is primarily the responsibility of the Government and the authorities in charge of public security. However, there also needs to be a social movement that forces Police officers to be lawful. The country’s Judiciary, in which many people have placed their trust, needs to continue to do the right thing, which includes refraining from entertaining illegal requests made by the Police and directing the Police to be lawful. 

All professions need to have standards, and when it comes to industries such as the media that have an unmatchable influence on the lives of the public, such standards are compulsory. In this context, officially recognising the journalists’ role and duties should not be a taboo. What is necessary is ensuring that the identification process is handled by a neutral body, in a transparent, responsible manner. When that happens, journalists such as Uduwaragedara would not have to scream that they are journalists, and the Police would think twice about abusing their powers against a journalist on duty.