Sri Lanka’s Center for Investigative Reporting ceremonial launch today

Addressing a long-felt vacuum, Sri Lanka will launch Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) at a ceremony at ‘The Lighthouse’ Auditorium of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute in Colombo today (January 30).Iqbal Athas, Consultant Editor – Defence Correspondent and Political Editor, The Sunday Times of Sri Lanka will deliver the keynote speech, followed by a panel discussion on ‘Re-imagining Investigative Reporting in Sri Lanka’.

The panelists are Hana Ibrahim, Editor, Daily/Weekend Express; Amal Jayasinghe, Bureau Chief, AFP; and Amantha Perera, Asia-Pacific Coordinator, DART Center for Journalism and Trauma, Columbia University. Moderator of the panel is Shan Wijetunga, Director, Sri Lanka College of Journalism.

“The Center is a collective effort of a group of journalists and media trainers who wish to raise the bar in Sri Lankan journalism. The Center is conceptualised and driven by Sri Lankan journalists for journalists here,” CIR Executive Director Dilrukshi Handunnetti said.

“We wish to support groundbreaking investigative reporting initiatives, adhering to the highest global professional standards,” Ms. Handunnetti said.

“The Center is committed to fostering investigative journalism in Sri Lanka by working with newsrooms to enhance existing talent and by nurturing the next generation of investigative journalists who will represent the industry’s highest standards and equipped to challenge the culture of self-censorship by speaking truth to power,” she said.

The Center has been recognised by the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN)as a member. GIJN is an international association of nonprofit organizations that support, promote and produce investigative journalism.” Its membership is open to “nonprofits, NGOs, and educational organizations” that are active in investigative reporting and data journalism.