Sri Lanka media guide

Media outlets are divided along ethnic lines

Sri Lanka's media divide along language and ethnic lines.

Separate media outlets cater for Sinhala, Tamil and English speaking audiences. Those in Sinhala have the largest audiences.

Privately-owned TVs have larger audiences than state-owned outlets.

The printed press is popular. There are more than 20 daily titles, publishing in the three main languages.

Privately-owned networks have the lion's share of the TV audience. Non-state media often engage in political debate and criticise government policies.

The state runs two TV stations, radio networks and newspapers in Sinhala, Tamil and English.

At the height of the civil war Sri Lanka was one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists.

Despite the pledges given by President Sirisena in 2015 to investigate past attacks on journalists, nearly all the crimes of violence against journalists remain unpunished, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in 2018.

RSF said political control over media ownership is a major concern and has the potential to undermine pluralism and impartiality.

There were some 8.9 million internet users by July 2022, comprising 41% of the population (Internetworldstats.com). The web is a popular and growing medium for news.

There were major restrictions to online connectivity and social media platforms during communal violence in early 2018, said US-based Freedom House.

• Media guides by BBC Monitoring

Press

• Daily News - state-owned, English-language daily

• The Island - private, English-language daily

• Daily Mirror - private, English-language daily

• Dinamina - state-owned, Sinhala daily

• Lankadeepa - private, Sinhala daily

• Uthayan - private, Jaffna-based Tamil daily

• Virakesari - private, Tamil daily

Television

• Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) - state-owned, operates Rupavahini in Sinhala, Channel Eye in English and Nethra in Tamil

• Independent Television Network (ITN) - state-run, Sri Lanka's first TV station

• TV Derana - private

• Hiru TV - private

• Sirasa TV - private

• TNL - private

• ART TV - private

• Swarnavahini - private

• Shakthi TV - private

Radio

• Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) - state-owned, operates domestic services in Sinhala, Tamil and English, including widely-listened-to Commercial Service

• FM Derana - private

• Hiru FM - private

• TNL Radio - private

• Sun FM - private

• Yes FM - private

• Sirasa FM - private

• Sooriyan FM - private

• Shakthi FM - private

News agencies/internet

• Lankapuvath - state-owned

• Roar Media - news, multimedia

• TamilNet - US-based Tamil news site, widely described as pro-Tamil Tiger