Who Established The Sri Lanka College Of Journalism
Darshanie Ratnawalli
YGLs Of South Asia ‘Learn’: Who Established The Sri Lanka College Of Journalism
“Let him take credit for it if he wants. What does it matter?” Waruna Karunatilake told me among other things when I called him to verify if Ranga Kalansooriya was indeed the person who established the Sri Lanka College of Journalism (SLCJ). Dr. Ranga Kalansooriya, a former Director General of the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) stood up before an audience of Young Global Leaders (YGLs) of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and claimed – I quote verbatim – “I am the person who established the Sri Lanka College of Journalism. But I have to say I am ashamed of the quality of journalism in Sri Lanka as well as elsewhere.”
Kalansooriya made this claim at an informal and niche diplomatic event involving YGLs, a network of achievers mobilized by WEF. He was not challenged simply because there were no veteran journalists in the audience. However journalists albeit of a greener hue were present and that he still decided to make a false claim about a core journalistic institution in Sri Lanka attests to how much he has bought into the theory he articulated several times during his speech; that Sri Lankan journalists have a capacity issue. Finding out who really established the Sri Lanka College of Journalism would be quite beyond the capacity of this lot, Dr. Kalansooriya must have told himself smugly.
Ranga Kalansooriya, Co-ordinator, Sri Lanka College of Journalism shares his thoughts with the Director of Sri Lanka College of Journalism Dr. Uvais Ahamed in 2005
We all bought it, YGLs, green journalists, expert panelists. I must confess that I only have a passing acquaintance with the SL College of Journalism, i.e. I sometimes pass it on my way to the bank. During the refreshment break Asanga Abeyegoonesekera, under whose chairmanship thisniche YGL event is being held in Sri Lankamakes a beeline for Ranga Kalansooriya and bears him off to meet the YGLs connected to media in their respective countries, passing me with a dismissive ‘thank you for coming’. How strange, I think, after all I edited this man Asanga’s book, ‘Towards a better world order’ and I am there supposedly to cover the event on his invitation and I and my partner had met him socially just last night. Then I console myself philosophically, after all Ranga Kalansooriya is the person who established the SLCJ, who am I?
