Public talk on iwmpact of social media on an open society by Sanjana Hattotuwa

The Nightwatchman Society will be hosting a free public talk “The Open Society vs. Social Media” by Sanjana Hattotuwa this Tuesday, 18 February at the Royal College Union Skills Centre (Rajakeeya Mawatha, Colombo 07). This public talk is part of a series of idea-based discussions conducted bi-monthly by The Nightwatchman Society. 

The more social media takes root in the country, the more it is used for ‘constant campaigns’ where politics is debated through the cultivation of misinformation, fear and anxiety. What does an ‘open society’ really mean given this new entrenched reality? This talk will examine several questions regarding the modern trajectory of social media use within Sri Lanka.  

Sanjana Hattotuwa

The speaker Sanjana Hattotuwa is thought leader working at the intersection of technology, peacebuilding, culture and civic media. In 2006, Sanjana founded the award-winning Groundviews platform – Sri Lanka’s first citizen journalism website. He specialises in, advises and trains on new media literacy, web-based activism and advocacy. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Otago, New Zealand, on social media and socio-political dynamics in post-war Sri Lanka.

With the objective of encouraging public conversation on policy, the Nightwatchman Society invites the public to join this talk followed by a discussion with free admission.

For more information and to pre-register for the event, visit www.nightwatchmansociety.org  

The Nightwatchman Society spokesmen are available for any questions or clarifications via 0773352745.