Sri Lankan Newsroom

Three girls from Sri Lanka are currently enrolled in the Essential Journalism Course on a scholarship from the Oxford School for the Future of Journalism.

The students were selected with three others from a pilot project run in Galle, Sri Lanka in 2023. They have continued to stay on the course and attend weekly classes online with OXSFJ tutor Tharushi Weerasinghe.

The pilot project in Sri Lanka was run between September and December 2023 with weekly in-person classes for a group of 14 students between the ages of 13–16. Students were tutored in writing and introductory journalism. Groups of students were also taken to the field for experience in reporting stories. The pilot project concluded following a writing competition out of which six students were selected to the Essential Journalism Course. Three have continued to stay on the course and are now writers for Harbingers’ Magazine.

Writers

Project editor

Ananya

Prasanna

Science Section Editor 2024

Reading, United Kingdom

Latest article:

women's desk

What does Sri Lanka’s new female prime minister mean for the country’s young girls?

What does Dr Harini Amarasuriya appointment as prime minister – only the third woman to hold this position – mean for Sri Lanka? Harbingers’ Magazine spoke with young women and girls in Galle on the significance of the prime minister’s appointment

16-year-old Lisindi Liyanage talks to young Sri Lankans about a prime minister of many firsts

science

Coral catastrophe: The race to save Sri Lanka’s fragile reefs

Coral reefs are some of the most important resources in the tropics, alongside mangroves and seagrass beds. Humans rely heavily on coral reefs, thanks to their benefits to the tourism and building industries, and for coastal protection. They are home to a quarter of the world’s marine species, and provide food and resources to half a billion people across the globe

15 year-old Lisindi Liyanage explores the devastating damage to Sri Lanka’s coral reefs

economics

Dying jobs - will AI shape the future of employment?

Due to the rapid development of technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), jobs are swiftly disappearing. Over the last few years, some traditional jobs have gone for good. Supermarket cashiers have already been replaced by self-service checkouts, while many assembly line workers have been replaced by cheaper, more efficient, automated machinery. But some jobs will continue to remain essential

15 year-old Anastasia Kulikova on the phenomenon of ‘dying jobs’ in the age of tech advancement

society

Why corporal punishment is still common in Sri Lankan schools

Corporal punishment of children as a means of discipline has been prohibited in Sri Lanka, but is still regularly used in schools, with the excuse that it is part of the country’s culture

15 year-old Hesandi explores the status of corporal punishment in Sri Lankan schools

science

The dangerous rise of diabetes in South Asia

The rate of diabetes is increasing drastically across the world, but particularly in developing countries such as Sri Lanka and India. With expensive treatments, there is a rising importance to follow precautions to better protect health expenditure

15 year-old Lisindi Liyanage explores the past, present and future of diabetes in Sri Lanka

opinion

To be or not to be… an international student

Being an international student, attending different schools, seeing other countries and experiencing new environments gives you a lot of opportunities. You are able to find what you like and what you are good at, improve yourself and be prepared for the future

14 year-old Anastasia Kulikova explains the advantages of studying abroad

opinion

Sri Lanka’s Moragahakanda dam project is an environmental disaster

The bar for one of Sri Lanka’s largest and supposedly most conservation-oriented development projects has been set so low that it has caused more damage than progress

14 year-old Hesandi Ravisinghe weighs up the pros and cons of a crucial irrigation project

science

The impact of climate change in Australia

In Australia, every decade since 1950 has been warmer. In New South Wales, the most populous state in Australia, locals share how the regularity of seasons has changed

14 year-old Anastasia Kulikova on the detrimental and highly influential effects of climate change in New South Wales

opinion

Should poaching and hunting be illegal?

Hunting is one of the oldest causes of animal extinction and endangerment. The problem is that prohibition could be financially disadvantageous – because many countries rely on the tourism and fashion industries, in which animals play an important part

15 year-old Lisindi Liyanage from Sri Lanka examines the morality and necessity of killing animals

climate crisis

Hundreds of Sri Lankan elephant deaths are caused by human activity

Urbanisation and habitat loss has created a ‘frontline’ of worsening conflict between humans and elephants with deadly consequences for both

14 year-old Hesandi Ravisinghe on rising threats against the elephant population

Sri Lankan Newsroom

Writers

Hesandi

Ravisinghe

Lisindi

Liyanage

Anastasia

Kulikova

Project editor

Ananya

Prasanna

Latest article:

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