RTI: Icing on the cake
Honouring those who campaigned for RTI Law Attorney-at-law and senior journalist Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena receives the D.R. Wijewardene Award for Earning the Appreciation of Peers and Public presented to all those who campaigned for the RTI Law from President of The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka Manik de Silva
Tuesday’s annual Journalism Awards for Excellence at the elegant Empire Ballroom of the Mount Lavinia Hotel had its share of suspense and excitement as the coveted awards were given out to journalists who had shone in their profession in the past year. The awards were presented before a gathering of their peers who had all left their computers and deadlines behind for a rare evening of celebration.
The big prize of the evening ‘the Mervyn de Silva Journalist of the Year award’ was won by K. Sanjeewa of the Ravaya. And as is customary, the evening began with seniors in the profession Piyasena Ihalavithana, Veeragathy Thanabalasingham, Sarath Malalasekera, Premasiri Abeysinghe and Neville de Silva being honoured with Lifetime Achievement Awards.
The Sunday Times had a memorable night winning the Best Designed Newspaper of the Year award and its News Desk garnering the Scoop of the Year award. The Sunday Times journalists were in the forefront – Namini Wijedasa won the Investigative Journalist of the Year while Chandani Kirinde carried away the Upali
Wijewardene Feature Writer of the Year award with Adilah Ismail being awarded the Merit award for Feature Writer of the Year. Photographer Amila Gamage received the Merit award for Photojournalist of the Year.
Senior columnist and attorney-at-law Kishali Pinto Jayawardena collected the D.R. Wijewardene Award for Earning the Appreciation of Peers and the Public on behalf of all those who had campaigned relentlessly over the years for the Right to Information Law which was passed by parliament this year.
The chief guest for the evening, Ambassador for Norway Throbjorn Gaustadsaether was presented a replica of the Journalism Award by Chairman of the Sri Lanka Press Institute Kumar Nadesan and President of The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) Manik de Silva. The Journalism Awards of Excellence is organised by the two bodies representing the press in Sri Lanka.
Deputy Editor (News) of the Sunday Times Anthony David receives the Scoop of the Year award presented to the Sunday Times News Desk from the Editor of the Dinamina Pushpa Rowel
Namini Wijedasa of the Sunday Times receives the Investigative Journalist of the Year award from Treasurer of The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka Sisira Paranatantrie
Asitha Ratnayake of the Sunday Times receives the award for the Best Designed Newspaper from Convenor of the Free Media Movement of Sri Lanka Seetha Ranjanee
K. Sanjeewa of Ravaya receives the Mervyn de Silva Journalist of the Year 2015 Award from the Chief Guest, Norwegian Ambassador Thorbjorn Gaustadsaether
Chandani Kirinde of the Sunday Times receives the Upali Wijewardene Feature Writer of the Year award from President of the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka Ranjit Wijewardene
Adilah Ismail of the Sunday Times receives the Merit Award for Feature Writer of the Year from President of the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka Ranjit Wijewardene
Amila Gamage of the Sunday Times receives the Merit award for Photojournalist of the Year from President of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association Lasantha Ruhunage
The Beat Drummers in action
A dance performance by the Sparrows
Pix by Indika Handuwala and M.D. Nissanka