With the sheer intention of providing a wider perspective and exposure to the fast changing subject of Mass Communication and Media, the Army Headquarters-based Directorate of Army Media jointly with the Government Information Department (GID) of the Ministry of Mass Media and Information, provided a one-month long Media training to a group of 47 Army personnel, for the first time in the Army history.
The ceremony to award certificates of competence to those course attendees including 14 officers, took place Tuesday (27) evening at GID auditorium, Narahenpita, headed by Prof Ariyaratne Athugala, Director General, GID and Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, Commander of the Army who was the conceptual architect of the project, using his experience in his capacity as a former Military Spokesman several years ago.
Those 47 course attendees during training received a wide exposure in the field of Media Reporting, Language Usage, TV News Presentations, Media Features and News, Website Language, Photography, News Writing, TV Script Writing, Nation Building Roles of the Army and its Complexity, Media Behaviour during Humanitarian Operations, Sound Recording, Live Coverage, Civil Relations, Media Relations with the Army, Media Ethics and Values, etc and a few other areas, in addition to their familiarization visits to the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Associated Newspapers of Sri Lanka Limited, ITN Studio, Lakhanda Radio, Abimansala - 2, Boossa Army Divisional Headquarters and a few other places of importance to the training.
Prof Ariyaratne Athugala, Director General, GID, Prof Rohana Lakshman Piyadasa, Prof Mapa Thilakaratne and Prof Chandrasiri Rajapaksa of University of Kelaniya, Mr Mohan Samaranayake, Presidential Spokesman, Mr Uditha Gayashan Gunasekara, Mr Harendranath Chandrasiri, Mr Wasanthapriya Ramanayake, all from GID, Mr Hudsan Samarasinghe, Chairman, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Sudath Silva, Presidential Photographer, Mr Gamini Sumanasekara, Chief Editor ‘Irida Divaina’, Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya, Military Spokesman, Brigadier K.J Jayaweera, Director Army Media, Mr Sisira Wijesinghe, Sri Lanka Army Media Advisor, Mr Darshana Priyaratne, Lecturer, GID, Mr Amara P Weerasinghe, Mr Ashoka Jayasekara, Mr Sanjeewa Edirimanna, Mr Prince Liyanage, Mr Harsha Gomes, Mr H.D Nissanka, Mr Duminda Widanagamarachchi, Mr M.K Darmasiri, Mr H.M Liyanage, Mr Kumudulal Walpola and a few others contributed to academic and practical sessions during the one-month training period.
Tuesday’s (27) award ceremony, graced by Prof Ariyaratne Athugala and Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake, Commander of the Army, was coloured by entertaining features of the cultural troupe of the Army.
Both Mr Athugala and the Army Chief at the invitation of organizers distributed certificates to the course attendees after a multi-media presentation of the trainees which summed up what they gathered from the course was produced before the gathering.
Prof Athugala and Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake made brief addresses to the occasion and called upon the certificate recipients to make use of their media knowledge for betterment of the organization and the country alike in the future since this subject has become an integral part of our society.
Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake in his brief oration to the occasion explaining the motive behind organizing these types of media courses told the gathering that it was purely meant to bridge the gap between fast changing media development and importance of keeping the public informed of what the Army has been doing across the country for the greater benefit of our society.
“Don’t misunderstand that the soldiers are trying to infiltrate the field of Media. What we are trying to make is a soldier, competent in everything,” the Commander said.
Brigadier K.J Jayaweera, Director Media at Army Headquarters welcomed the invitees, attending the closing ceremony and thanked the Department of Information and all who supported the project.
Several senior officers, including Major General S.A.P.P Samarasinghe, Chief of Staff, Brigadier Ralph Nugera, Director Training, Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya, Military Spokesman, Brigadier Wasantha Bandara, Senior Journalist Mr Edwin Ariyadasa, Coordinating Secretary to Hon Minister of Mass Media and Information were present at the ceremony.
Prof Ariyaratne Athugala was presented a memento by the Chief Guest Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake as an appreciation of the cooperation given to make the project a success.
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