Sunday Jul 12, 2026
Sunday Jul 12, 2026
Saturday, 11 July 2026 09:33 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The full-day Media Fest, Sri Lanka’s premier gathering of media professionals, will be held today at the Taj Samudra, Colombo bringing together some of the industry’s leading voices to discuss the trends, technologies, and transformations redefining journalism and content creation.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, Media Fest 2026 organised by The Sri Lanka-India Media Friendship Association (SLIMFA) will focus on the theme ‘Staying Relevant in a Changing World,’ exploring how journalism and media can adapt to rapid technological, economic, and audience shifts, while upholding the core values of accuracy, independence, verification, public interest, and trust.
The festival will feature leading journalists, editors, media executives, digital creators, academics, and industry experts from Sri Lanka and India. Discussions will cover a range of topics, including audience engagement, technology and journalism, misinformation and fact-checking, digital transformation, media sustainability, emerging storytelling formats, and the future of news consumption.
The festival will feature keynote addresses and panel discussions with distinguished speakers from India, including Asian News International Chief Editor and Deputy CEO Smita Prakash, India Today Managing Editor Marya Shakil, The Asia Group Partner Ashok Malik, and leading industry experts from Sri Lanka.
Chief Guest will be Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa and Guests of Honour Deputy Minister Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne and Indian High Commissioner Santosh Jha.
The core thematic areas of the festival are ‘Trust, Truth and the Battle for Credibility’; ‘Holistic Media Strategy: Revenue, AI and the Sustainability of Journalism’; and ‘The Audience Shift: From Readers to Views, From Media to Personalities.’
Sponsors of the Festival are Commercial Bank PLC, Mahindra Ideal Finance, CWIT, Sri Lankan Airlines, Taj Samudra Colombo and CMN.
The Festival via panel discussions will also feature a host of media industry professionals including SLIMFA President and Daily FT Editor-in-Chief and CEO Nisthar Cassim, Centre for Investigative Reporting (CIR), Sri Lanka Director Dilrukshi Handuneththi, AFP Sri Lanka Head Amal Jayasinghe, Daily Mirror Editor-in-Chief Jamila Husain, Newswire Editor Kalani Kumarasinghe, Neon Consultant Editor Indika Sakalasooriya, Pulse Digital Editor Vimukthi Karunaratne, Virakesari Assistant Editor Robert Anthony, Ada Derana English Senior Journalist Mahieash Johnney, Advocata Institute CEO Dhananath Fernando, Centre for Law And Security Studies Director Nilanthan Niruthan, Verité Research Media Research Team Head Deepanjalie Abeywardana, and Liberal Youth Movement Founder and Convener Namini Panditha.
The SLIMFA, which was inaugurated in May 2024, was established to strengthen media ties between Sri Lanka and India. Since its inception, the Association has organised a range of initiatives, including discussions, roundtables, and professional exchanges focused on key issues shaping the media industry.
