While President Mahinda Rajapakse’s speech was telecast over ‘Sirasa’ channel yesterday at 7.00 p.m. during main news telecast, the teleprompter used for his speeches was clearly visible and a senior member of presidential media unit has telephoned ‘Sirasa’ and threatened the media institution regarding telecasting the scene.
He had asked ‘Sirasa’ staff not to use the same recording for their news telecast at 10.00 p.m. and has asked them to use the recording sent by the presidential media unit instead. He had threatened ‘Sirasa’ not to telecast any other scenes but only the recordings sent by the presidential media unit. Hence, ‘Sirasa’ has telecast the recording given to them by the presidential media unit at their 10.00 p.m. news telecast.
Normally, the teleprompter is used only by news readers in live telecast of news programmes. The news sheet is displayed by the teleprompter placed in front of the news reader and he or she presents what she or he reads from the teleprompter.
The President too uses the teleprompter to read his speeches prepared earlier and all media institutions have been instructed to avoid the teleprompter from the viewers’ view when telecasting his speeches. It is with the help of the teleprompter the President makes his speeches and ‘speaks’ Tamil fluently.
However, the teleprompter used by the President in making his speeches has now become a threat to the lives of media persons.
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