The Ceylon Today journalists are dreaming!!

The exceedingly low IQ of our journalists was apparent yet again, when a bunch of Ceylon Today journalists sent their letter of resignation in protest at the sacking two days ago of their editor, Lalith Alahakoon.

I remember reminding them going into this, to step back from greed. After all it was sheer greed that drove them to join Ceylon Today, as their remuneration package was at least double what they could earn. So being paid from March, when in fact the paper was launched only on November 18^th the birthday of MR was a calculated ploy of the owner Tiran Alles, that his double game would win friends with MR as well.

I said it then and I repeat it now, for a paper to pay double, carry on without printing and paying wages for 6 months, then running CT at a loss with no advertising, is to say the least suspicious. So intuitively one must realize that a slush fund of unearned funds was available for this venture. From what I understand, there was a large amount left over from SF’s campaign that could be used for this venture. Further, when Prabarkaran was bought over into to preventing the North voting in the 2005 election, about a third of the money due to be paid to him, had not been! This siphoned money, possibly as high as Rs300M was also part of the seed capital for the loss making enterprise.

Any self respecting journalist should have known this before agreeing to work for an outfit of this ilk. It was obvious it was NOT an independent publication complete with editorial freedom. That is why I captioned this essay as journalists dreaming! So knowing the partiality of the owners to the General and his cause, ostensibly trying to trumpet his cause was an expected part of these journalists, as clear as night follows day!

I therefore say that the journalists went into this with their eyes open, and now it is sour grapes saying what these four did say in their combined letter of resignation. It just serves them right, trying to be too smart by half. They are clearly not of a caliber to be hired by anyone, as they will sell their mother’s soul if it was up for sale. Those are their ethics.

We need honorable journalists and honorable publications that are balanced. There is only one newspaper group today with even remotely fair and balanced reporting without taking sides.