Media Licences to be Cancelled for Spreading Misinformation, Warns Minister Nalinda Jayatissa
30-Dec-2025.
Minister of Health and Media Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa stated that the Ministry of Media holds full authority to revoke or cancel broadcast licenses of media institutions that disseminate false information, adding that license conditions will be strictly enforced against outlets publishing fake or distorted news in the future.
He made these remarks while delivering the keynote address at an awards ceremony held at the Health Promotion Bureau on 29 Dec.
The Minister said broadcast licenses for television channels are issued subject to strict conditions, emphasizing that media institutions are not merely entertainment platforms and must not act in ways that erode public trust.
All television channels, newspapers, radio stations, and media-related institutions in the country have been granted broadcast licenses on a temporary basis by the Ministry of Media, subject to several conditions.
These include refraining from publishing content that harms national security, the economy, or public health, or that causes public panic.
The Minister noted that the Ministry currently issues written warnings instructing media institutions to correct inaccurate reporting. However, in the future, strict enforcement measures will be applied against organizations that publish fake or distorted news.
He warned that especially severe action will be taken against media outlets that disseminate misleading information related to public health, stating that once public trust in a country’s healthcare system is undermined, the consequences are irreversible.
Referring to recent misinformation circulated regarding immunoglobulin medicines, the Minister said that during the previous administration, medicines were procured fraudulently in violation of procurement laws and regulations, and related legal proceedings are currently ongoing.
He concluded by stressing that journalists have a moral responsibility to provide the public with accurate health-related information if the country is to move forward.
