ICTA brings to life President's vision for a free, responsible media

ICTA, Sri Lanka will provide a tax free computer to every graduating e-journalists, states an ICTA press release.

The first batch of e-journalists will receive their certificates of merit at a ceremony under the patronage of President Mahinda Rajapakse on January 31.

"The e-journalists project which empowers our journalists to provide the public with timely and accurate information is a fulfilment of the policy statement on Information and Media", said ICTA, Head of Media, Athula Pushpakumara.

The official website of the e-journalists of Sri Lanka (www.ejournalist.lk), enabling them to showcase their talent not only to the nation but also the world, will also take place on the same day.

Media freedom could be truly established only if the conditions of the media personnel are raised. The ICTA is well on its way in fulfilling President Rajapakse's pledge in the Mahinda Chinthana, the release said.

ICTA, now operating under the President's Office, in keeping with the objectives of the e-Sri Lanka development project, undertook a mission to conduct National Level ICT courses for fulltime electronic and print media journalists.

The objective of this project was to create a "new breed" of tech savvy journalists who will in turn use their knowledge and expertise to touch the lives of the public they serve.

The courses were designed to provide practical knowledge and hands on experience on how to use ICT tools in day to day work activities, thereby building ICT capacity of the selected journalists and enabling them to carry out their profession more efficiently.

In addition, journalists received in-depth teaching on new media concepts and methods and also insights into ethical and responsible reporting by well-known speakers.

The team of journalists also received the status "e-Journalists" as they, over the duration of their course, received comprehensive background information on the 'e-Sri Lanka' project and the benefits of ICT availing the citizens of Sri Lanka through the 'e-Sri Lanka' project.

ICTA will take the first steps fulfilling another pledge of the "Mahinda Chinthana" to provide a tax-free computer to every fulltime journalist in the country by providing each of its graduating e-journalists with a FREE computer on the day of the awards.

Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga; Chairman of ICTA, Prof. V.K. Samaranayaka, MD/CEO ICTA, Manju Haththotuwa and representatives of all media institutes and organisations will be present at the occasion.