Monday Jul 06, 2026
Monday Jul 06, 2026
Monday, 6 July 2026 05:07 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Media Fest, Sri Lanka’s premier gathering of media professionals, is back, bringing together some of the industry’s leading voices to discuss the trends, technologies, and transformations redefining journalism and content creation.
The Sri Lanka-India Media Friendship Association (SLIMFA) is set to host the second edition of the much awaited festival on 11 July at Taj Samudra Colombo from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, Media Fest 2026 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 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.’ There will be a special Fireside Conversation on the ‘The Future: The Sustainability of Journalism.’
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.
Through keynote sessions, panel discussions, and networking opportunities, Media Fest 2026 aims to foster meaningful conversations on the challenges and opportunities facing the media industry today.
The event is open to journalists, editors, publishers, broadcasters, content creators, media students, communication professionals, and anyone with an interest in the evolving media landscape.
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.
As there are limited seats available for this conference, please visit www.mediafest.lk for more information and registration.
