Sri Lanka Press Institute Concludes 2022 AGM

The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) held its 19th Annual General Meeting last Wednesday (7th) virtually on the Zoom web conferencing platform. The meeting was attended by representatives of its constituent partners, the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka (NSSL), The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL), the Free Media Movement (FMM), the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA).

During the year 2021 the SLPI has progressed along their mandate engaging in initiatives promoting media freedom and freedom of expression, professionalizing journalism and activities that sustain democracy. The SLPI set up its own research unit launching several research programs on safety of media professionals, media ethics, the social responsibility of reporting and the legal framework governing media in Sri Lanka.

Among the key products last year is the guideline developed for safety of women journalists which was further developed and adopted by newsrooms as a human resource management reference for media professionals. Apart from training programmes on safety of journalists, digital safety, right to information and investigative journalism training, the SLPI engaged in tackling mis and disinformation under their fact-checking brand FactSeeker.

Programmes complementing the SLPI mandate to nurture an informed public and professionalize journalism was conducted in collaboration with local and foreign organizations such as the US Embassy, National Democratic Institute (NDI), World Health Organization (WHO), International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), UNESCO, the Norwegian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GiZ), and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The AGM was presided over by Chairman Mr. Kumar Nadesan and the directors re-elected were Mr. Kumar Nadesan (Chairman) of the Newspaper Society, Mr. Sinha Ratnatunga (Deputy Chairman), Mr. Manik de Silva and Mr. Mohanlal Piyadasa of The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka, Ms. Seetha Ranjanee, Mr. Udaya Kalupathirana and Mr. Lasantha de Silva of the Free Media Movement, Mr. Lasantha Ruhunage and Mr. Duminda Sampath of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association.

Messrs. Ernst and Young Sri Lanka Limited were re-appointed as auditors of the company and F.J. & G de Saram’s Corporate Services (Private) Limited (CSL) were re-appointed as the company secretaries. The affiliated organisations of the SLPI are the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA), Tamil Media Alliance (TMA), Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (SLMMF) and Federation of Media Employees’ Trade Union (FMETU)