This briefing note, produced by the Verité Media and Politics Division of Verité Research, proposes national media guidelines for ethical reporting on women and girl children. It draws on the long-standing work of Ethics Eye, which for nearly a decade has monitored Sinhala-language media and documented recurring patterns of coverage that normalise violence, reinforce harmful stereotypes, and discourage survivors from seeking justice.

Building on these findings, the briefing note calls on the government to: (i) Draft and adopt survivor-centred national media guidelines and encourage their adoption by mainstream and digital outlets; and (ii) Allocate funds in the 2026 Budget to support training and capacity-building on the guidelines.

The briefing note was developed in partnership with the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, to promote ethical media standards concerning women and girl children. It was handed over to the Deputy Minister of Mass Media, Kaushalya Ariyarathne, by the Verité Media and Politics team.