Abstract:
This decade is proving to be crucial to national security of Sri Lanka as there are many international pressures
upon the country. Some of these pressures are legal whilst others are economic. However, the common nature
of all these pressures is that it threatens Sri Lanka’s national security and obstructs the development of the
country. Therefore it is imperative that Sri Lanka conducts itself in a manner that safeguards the country’s
national security. In this context, this research highlights the importance played by mass media and
communication in safeguarding Sri Lanka’s national security and interests. The research thus provides an
analysis of mass media in reporting international pressures on Sri Lanka. It will also analyse the media
relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs against these international pressures. Towards this end, the
research mainly utilises secondary data such as newspaper articles, press releases, feature articles from
reputed websites and reports from social media etc. The research will also analyse media relations against
existing communication models among others Shannon – Weaver and Defleur and identify a mechanism that
will help safeguard Sri Lanka’s image. The research identified there is a communication gap and that mass
media is not being utilised appropriately by the relevant authorities in presenting and projecting the image of
Sri Lanka. In conclusion, the research provides a communication tool for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to
follow when interacting with the media both local and international in order to safeguard Sri Lanka’s national
security. It also highlights the importance of social media and its uses in the future and finally provides a link
to the interconnectedness of national security and mass media as they both together assist with the development
of the country
