Journalists of Sri Lanka can be proud that a former journalist became the President of the country, President Maithripala Sirisena said yesterday, revealing that he had worked as a provincial reporter for the Lake House for three years.

Speaking at the event to introduce a programme to establish an ethical media culture, Sirisena said that the world is controlled by the owners of media institutions rather than politicians.

Therefore, the media should pay attention to what they report and how they report, Sirisena said, adding that some complaints on certain media institutions are being raised by media institutions themselves.

The media should point out shortcomings and make governments move in the correct direction, he added.