Sri Lanka journalist welfare plans include special insurance, discounted data packages and new legal protections for media professionals.
New Sri Lanka journalist welfare measures will include special insurance coverage and a discounted mobile data package, Deputy Media Minister Dr. Kaushalya Ariyaratne has announced.
She revealed the proposals during a meeting with media professionals at the Jaffna District Secretariat.
The discussion took place alongside the “Asi Disi Piyavara” special workshop for journalists, organised by the Department of Government Information.
The meeting focused on practical difficulties affecting regional and national journalists working in the Northern Province.
Dr. Ariyaratne chaired the discussion and listened to concerns raised by media professionals from the region.
She said the political change created through the 2024 general election was helping establish a national welfare approach connecting the North and South.
The government was prepared to protect journalists’ job security and professional rights, she added.
Dr. Ariyaratne said those protections should advance alongside improvements to roads, healthcare, transport and education.
Get
Breaking News
First
on WhatsApp
Follow The Morning Telegraph for instant alerts, top stories and exclusive updates delivered straight to your phone.
Sri Lanka Journalist Welfare Plans Outlined
The Deputy Minister said the government was preparing several programmes to improve journalists’ welfare.
These include special insurance coverage designed specifically for media professionals.
The government also plans to introduce a concessional telephone data package exclusively for journalists.
Dr. Ariyaratne said the proposed measures would support media workers who often face financial, professional and personal risks while carrying out their duties.
She also discussed legislation intended to protect professional standards and dignity within the media industry.
According to the Deputy Minister, the draft bill to establish a “Chartered Media Institute” has already been presented to Parliament.
The proposed institute would seek to safeguard professional dignity and strengthen standards among journalists and other media professionals.
Dr. Ariyaratne also said Sri Lanka’s economy was growing in an environment free from racism, where the law applies equally to everyone.
She argued that these conditions would help create opportunities for younger people and reduce their need to leave the country.
Justice Sought for Journalists Killed or Harassed
The meeting also examined efforts to deliver justice for journalists killed, disappeared or subjected to harassment in the past.
Participants discussed the need to accelerate those processes and address unresolved concerns affecting journalists and their families.
The discussion also covered salary and allowance disparities across the media profession.
Officials considered the protection available to journalists who face threats or dangers while working in the field.
Attention also turned to scholarship programmes administered through the Ministry.
Participants stressed that eligible journalists should receive the full benefits offered through those schemes.
Dr. Ariyaratne said the government would treat journalists’ safety, professional freedom and social welfare as priorities.
The proposed insurance, data relief and professional framework form part of a wider Sri Lanka journalist welfare programme aimed at strengthening the media profession.
However, the effectiveness of these measures will depend on their implementation and whether journalists across every region receive equal access.
