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Other participants consisted of executives of Upali and Wijaya newspapers. A
large Number of media organizations both print and electronic media covered this
prestigious event, and a wide publicity was given locally.
Following this conference, according to organizers there was a very good
response especially from teachers requesting whether such programs will take
place in the near future.
The NIE programme is aimed at enhancing the reading interests in young people
and now our country would join the network of other Asian countries such as
Indonesia, India, Thailand and of course the rest of the world. It also expects
to promote the use of newspapers as additional ‘textbook" and an individual
classroom resource.
NIE was sponsored in Sri Lanka by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN)
and Norske Skog to promote reading habits among the schooling children. To
promote NIE in Sri Lanka, two newspaper publishing giants, Upali Newspapers
Limited and Wijeya Newspapers Limited joined hands to shoulder the task for the
betterment of the Sri Lankan society.
Mr. P S J A Gomes (gomes@upali.lk), IT Manager Upali Newspapers Limited and Mr. Lanka Pradeep,
Assistant Manager Web Development, Wijeya Newspaper Limited co-ordinated and
organized NIE programme in Sri Lanka.
Both, Upali Group of Companies -Group Establishments Director LT. Colonel
Sarath Jayawardhana and Wijeya Newspapers Limited Executive Director Lal
Jayawardana believe that NIE activities encourage students to explore their
newspapers, bridging the gap between classrooms and the real world.
The International experts came from India, Indonesia and Thailand. Indonesian
Newspaper Association Executive Director (NIE) Mr. Kukuh Sanyoto spoke on the
topic `Structuring and Designing NIE Programs at - NIE in Indonesia’.
HT Media Limited Manager- Curriculum PACE -NATIONAL, Ms. Protima Naidu spoke
on the topic titled `Challenges and Expectations of Promoting the Habit of
Reading Through the Use of Newspapers’.
The National Press Council of Thailand Secretary General Mr. Chavarong
Limpattamapanee spoke on the topic titled ` Policy and Guidelines Including
Future Network in Promoting Newspaper Reading Habits’.
During his presentation, Lt. Colonel Jayawardhana. said that they have taken
the first steps in NIE in Sri Lanka. He also said that they were successful in
trying to achieve the co-ordination between the organizations. He also said that
newspaper organizations are indebted to WAN for promoting the event in Sri
Lanka.
Mr. KuKuh Sanyoto
Answering questions Sanyoto said that newspapers should work with teachers
closely. He believes that this approach helps newspapers to enter into
classrooms. ‘If you are not a big newspaper, you must have the ability to
convince the teacher’.
He said in Indonesia they also work through associations to approach schools.
He said that unlike radio and televisions –for which people are attracted
passively but newspapers do give active reading pleasure.
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Sanyoto also said that a vast area of knowledge could be given to children
through newspapers and the newsrooms should engage the children to put out a
better assortment of new item for them.
Ms. Protima Naidu
Protima said that when they commenced NIE in India, there was tremendous
resistance, "some school teachers queried why a journalist should come to
school’. She says that school teachers often thought that journalists came to
school to report something that would have negative consequences.
However, after they commenced work with five schools and when it became to 10
schools, soon it jumped up to 50 schools. She believes that every country will
have start up challenges.
She also said that they provide newspapers at a very low cost rate –rupees
200 for the entire year.
She said that after a survey of six months, they commenced as a weekly
newspaper and ended up as a daily newspaper.
She also said that, presently their mother product Hindustan Times sells 1.1
million copies per day where as NIE sells a staggering four million. She said
that they never sign contracts for advertisements that have negative impacts on
health etc.
Most of their advertisers are educational institutes or manufacturers of
sports goods.
Fielding questions, she said that it is better to first start of with the
existing publication – on a small column, quarter page, half page, and full page
or as a separate pull out.
However, she stressed that initial programs could be flexible depends on the
individual organization. Speaking about the workforce, she said that it could be
started off with the existing resources.
She believes that direction is the most important thing. Citing examples she
said that there were individual approaches. Teachers had been assigned to do the
task with.
Mr. Charavang
Chavarong, citing examples of the Sri Lanka Press Institute and the Editors
Guild said work hand in hand, suggested that Sri Lanka could work in two ways –
own way and the other way is to seek the support of the newspaper association.
He said that they advocate step by step approach for the success of NIE in
Thailand. .
Sri Lanka Press Institute Director General Ranga Kalansooriya, National
Institute of Education, Media Education Project Co-coordinator Banduala P.
Dayaratna also spoke
"Programmes of this nature should be backed by the Ministry of Education.
However, it is sad to note that the desired support is lacking in this regard.
The long run of the programme is entirely depended on the Ministry assistance",
Mr. Dayaratne said.
There were presentations by Duminda Balasooriya of the Wijeya Newspapers
Limited, Deputy of Editor Wijeya Children Newspaper and Mrs. Kokila Wethasinghe
of the Upali Newspapers Limited, Children Newspaper – "Bindu" Editor.
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