Christians win press awards in Sri Lanka

(July 29, 2011) Several Christians, including an UCA News reporter, were among the winners at the annual Journalism Awards for Excellence in Colombo, Sri Lanka early this week. They said working in the face of threats and intimidation is a part of their mission to uncover malpractice and bring about justice in society. Channaka de Silva, a Catholic, won the Sports Journalist of the Year prize for his reporting on corruption within sporting governing bodies. In Sri Lanka the situation is particularly ugly with people fighting for top posts in various sporting bodies using political patronage. They want to enter sports management not to develop their respective sports but to gain wealth and privileges, Silva said. Meanwhile, UCA News journalist, Susitha R. Fernando, won the “Reporting on Social Issues” award for his reporting on corruption and negligence in the legal system. His article on a prisoner jailed for 112 years by an adult court while he was still a juvenile, and after being allegedly framed by police, received special mention. Awards were also given to the editor of Lanka newspaper, Chandana Sirimalwatta, for fighting against intimidation and interference in the media, while a number of veteran journalists were awarded lifetime achievement gongs for their contribution to the country’s print media. The annual awards are organized by the Editor’s Guild of Sri Lanka in association with the Sri Lanka Press Institute.