Grassroots Journalism in Digital Age:

Innovate or Perish!

By Nalaka Gunawardene@ Sri Lanka Press Institute

Award ceremony 4 Provincial JournalistsBy Transparency International Sri Lanka

Colombo: 2 October 2015

http://nalakagunawardene.com

Opening with Tribute to:Priyantha Ratnayake

Provincial journalist killed by elephant attack while on reporting mission in Minneriya, Sri Lanka: 5 Sep 2015

Provincial Journalists in Sri Lanka…

Ground level ‘eyes and ears’ of media industry, unsung & often unknwon

Primary gatherers of news + images for print & broadcast companies in Colombo/Jaffna

Work without contracts, income security or benefits like insurance

Exposed to harsh ground realities: pressures, threats, violence, coercion

Provincial journalists…

What is the State of Media in Sri Lanka today?

Cartoon by Awantha Artigala

Cartoon by Awantha Artigala

Plenty of media products….But readers confused?

Cartoon by Awantha Artigala

State of Lankan media?Common man/woman ignored!

Cartoon by Awantha Artigala

State of Lankan media: A blind media trying to lead public astray?

Cartoon by Awantha Artigala

Lankan media pack goes news hunting: A recent citizen Meme

News media conduct during recent criminal investigation on rape and murder of an abducted girl of 5 yrs

State of media in Sri Lanka today? Change must begin at the bottom!

Cartoon By Gihan de Chickera, Daily Mirror, 18 June 2014

So…What is to be done??? Look at our media critically Identify what is good and bad Preserve and promote the good Slowly change the bad Make media more:

Authentic and credible Sensitive to society’s issues Responsive to public interest

Media industry worldwide… Challenged by rise of digital and

web technologies Newspapers & magazines losing

readers, advertisers to web Broadcasting also under pressure Younger audiences don’t share

parents’ media habits Industry to INNOVATE or PERISH! WHERE ARE OUR INNOVATORS?

Ceylon Tea industry:Almost 150 Years

Started in 1867: small scale, then grew and expanded!

Well organised industry & trade 2014 revenue: USD 1.67 billion Direct employment: 750,000 Total economic support: 2

million+ people Small-holders: 400,000 approx Marks 150 years in 2017

Two key pathfinders… James Taylor (1835-

1892), started first tea plantation in Ceylon 1867

Sir Thomas Lipton (1841-1931) started distributing Ceylon Tea in Europe from 1890

Sri Lanka produces tea,but it’s Lipton that packets, distributes and sells tea worldwide makes lots more money!

Ceylon Tea industry: Enter the Disruptor!

Dilmah Tea founded in 1974 by former tea-taster called Merril J Fernando

Lots of product innovation and value addition at source!

Marketing value-added tea directly to retail outlets

Dilmah sold at supermarkets in close to 100 countries!

“A Sri Lankan Underdog Battles Global Tea Giants” Dilmah mentioned in the New York Times, Jan 2010http://www.dilmah.com

Tea Small Holders:Backbone of this large industry

Growing on 10 acres (4 ha) or less Mostly low country tea lands Around 400,000 smallholders Produce 60% of total tea production 2013 production by: 248m kg

(out of total LK tea prod: 340m kg) Smallholders’ cost of production per kg of

green leaf: LKR 49.71 in 2013 (varies)

Sri Lankan media industry: 180+ years but not as evolved?

1802: Government Gazette 1832: Colombo Journal: started

during 6th British Governor, Sir Robert Wilmot Horton (in office: 1831-1837)

1841: Udaya Tharakai (First Tamil newspaper, from Jaffna)

1860: Lankaloka (First Sinhala newspaper, from Galle)

Today: Many media outlets100s of media products

Sri Lanka: Total ad spend of LKR 77b in 2014 (mostly in mainstream media)

Source: NeilsenBased on monitored activities & rate card cost

Tale of Two Industries…Different evolutionary paths

Tea: Partly diversified, broader supplier base, changed through disruptive innovation, etc.

Media: Centralised production & distribution: models not changed much in a century (despite modernization)

Provincial Journalists = Smallholders of news industry?

TEA INDUSTRY Small growers

larger tea estates processed tea overseas bulk buyers distributors retailers (shops)

Small producers don’t have control after selling produce

MEDIA INDUSTRY Provincial journalists

news desks processed reports audiences

Originators don’t have ANY control: Fate of their stories decided by News Desks

Processing news from grassroots:This can - and does - happen!

Can prov journalists have own ‘retail’ outlets for news?

Bloggers: 3,000+ in Sinhala, Tamil or English or mixed media

Blog aggregators: listing latest blog posts: Kottu, Sathutu wessa, etc.

Twitter users: 50,000? in Sinhala, Tamil, English or hybrid or memes

Facebook: 2.5 million+ accounts. Only some using it in PUBLIC setting to discuss matters of public interest

When mainstream media hesitates, consumers find alternatives…

LK Media Industry:Where are our innovators?

Merrill Fernandos of media ind? Disruptive innovation UNLIKELY to

come from profitable, old-style newspapers or broadcast media

Watch out for small, struggling media or civic media or citizen journalist collectives to INNOVATE

Provincial Journalists can experiment, find news ways!

Finding web platforms to network: http://galupuravesiyo.ning.com

Journalist in Matara FacebookGroup sharing local news

https://www.facebook.com/Journalist-in-Matara

Journalist in Matara:29 Sep 2015

Journalist in Matara:23 Sep 2015

https://www.facebook.com/apeaadiaCitizen Mems & video sharing

We urgently need: MORE Imagination & Innovation!

Don’t be bound by old tools & habits!

Cartoon by Dharshana Karunathilake

Some Advice via Twitter…

Some Advice via Twitter…

Provincial journalists must earn an honest living too: Web-based income models not yet clear

Ravaya columns online:http://nalakagunawardene.com/ravaya-column/

Twitter: @NalakaGBooks: http://nalakagunawardene.com/books/

http://nalakagunawardene.com