Marking a decade

Loyalty is a privilege that must be earned. For 10 years, the Daily FT has worked ceaselessly to inform, engage, evolve and, indeed, gain the trust and loyalty of readers. Starting out in 2009 as Sri Lanka’s first standalone financial, economic and business newspaper, the Daily FT took on the task of creating a unique publication, and today stands proud of all we have achieved.  

At the inception of the Daily FT, there were doubts as to whether a standalone financial paper would even have space in an already saturated market. However, the Daily FT took on the challenge and understood the need to evolve to meet the needs of readers and over time, expanded its readership to cover other aspects that were of national importance.

It was this driving desire to meet reader needs that resulted in stronger coverage of politics and social issues. Politics and the economy are closely linked, and it is impossible to have a holistic understanding of either without a deep knowledge of events transpiring in both these spheres. The Daily FT, from the beginning, brought a unique value proposition to Sri Lanka – all the most important news, opinions, policy decisions, and financial information of the day on one platform.

The Daily FT has also strived to have an editorial policy that is accommodating but progressive. Democracy, human rights, and unity are important to this newspaper, and efforts have always been made to uphold these ideals, whether it was reporting on the constitutional crisis, the Easter Sunday attacks and its aftermath, or the attempt to be balanced in reporting the recently concluded Presidential Election.  

Over time the Daily FT has added to its value by focusing on Government policymaking, crucial reforms, macroeconomic policies, and promoting economic freedom. Articles and special reports abound of unique people and events in Sri Lanka and beyond. Dedicated sectoral pages that showcase the developments and challenges of different fields, including financial services, agriculture, tourism, IT and telecom, shipping and aviation, HR, management and marketing, entrepreneurship and education are part of the daily fare.

The regular and guest columnists of the Daily FT deserve a special mention for their voluntary contributions over the years and for assisting the newspaper become a platform where diverse views are expressed. Responding to regular feedback from our loyal and growing readership has helped shape what the Daily FT is today – empowering.

Never a publication to ignore the lighter side of life, Daily FT also has pages dedicated to lifestyle, food, and the arts. Sports fans have always been a part of the Daily FT family, and we focus on reporting diverse news from sporting events around the world.

For the last decade, a small but passionate and dedicated team of editors, journalists, photographers, layout staff, and more have banded together to provide the best edition they can of the Daily FT every day, six days of the week. The work has been relentless, the challenges endless, and the late nights beyond count. But at every point when it mattered for Sri Lanka, the Daily FT has made a genuine attempt to uphold the highest possible standards of unbiased, balanced, and substantive reporting.

In an age when misinformation, fake news, and social media are not just changing but remaking the entire media landscape, the Daily FT still remains true to its goal of inclusive, credible, objective and holistic journalism.  In this ever-shifting landscape, the Daily FT understands we have the responsibility to be gatekeepers of democratic ideals. Allowing for diverse views and maintaining space for inclusivity, transparency, accountability, and diversity will remain key to our goal. In this we hope we will be joined by you, dear readers, as we continue this inspiring journey.