Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya said that the media space should be used for the good of the common people and that the Government pays tribute to all journalists who engage in independent and impartial media coverage and render excellent service to the country and the people.
The objective of this awards ceremony is to recognise the talents, abilities and exceptional skills of journalists to create a socially responsible media and art. Media persons who showed exceptional talents in the print, electronic, digital media and school media units were recognised at this awards ceremony.
The Prime Minister said that a number of private newspaper institutions were established in the country after the Lake House was founded by pioneer in print media industry in Sri Lanka D. R. Wijewardene. “This has led to emerge a generation of journalists with exceptional talents in the country and they always stood up for the people’s right to express their opinions and report accurate and truthful information to the people.
She said that the British Government launched the BBC Channel and within a short period of about two years, Radio Ceylon was launched as the first radio station in South Asia. The Prime Minister added that a number of prominent figures including Thevis Guruge, D. M. Colombage, Charles Abeysekerara and Karunaratne Abeysekera played a key role in the promotion of radio communication in the country.
“Shan Wickremesinghe who started the Independent Television Service in 1979, in which he succeeded in bringing about a revolution in the media sector in our country”.
The Prime Minister added that the NPP Government is committed to ensure media freedom and independence to uphold the people’s right to access true and accurate information.
“Our Government’s goal is to create a humanistic media industry in the country, considering the media space as a public property”, she said.
Speaking on the occasion, Health and mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said that he is delighted to be able to hold the Presidential Awards Ceremony after many years and recognise journalists who use their pens and voices for the betterment of the country.
The Minister said that the country is moving forward at a time when innovation is being implemented in all sectors of the country.
“This year’s budget makes it clear that results can be achieved in a very short time through planned and systematic intervention in any sector”, he said.
He added that all know very well that Sri Lanka was in a state of uncertainty about tomorrow. “There was uncertainty about the future of jobs in every field. We know that when the people handed over this country to us, there was reasonable doubt as to how successful the Government would be.
