Life Time Achievement Awards (Journalism Awards for Excellence)

Five senior journalists will receive the Distinguished Service Award for Journalism in Sri Lanka at the 13th Edition of the Journalism Awards for Excellence Ceremony on Tuesday, July 31 at 7 pm in the Empire Ballroom of the Mt. Lavinia Hotel.

They are:

* Mr. D. C. A. (Bernie) Wijesekera joined the Times of Ceylon newspaper of the Times Group in 1954 as a Proof Reader and worked until 1958. He was re-appointed a journalist of the Times of Ceylon in 1959. He joined The Sunday Times of Wijeya Group in 1996 and continues as a senior journalist.

* Mr. Kandiah Nithyanandan started his media career as a proof reader in the Virakesari newspaper in 1961. While proof reading, he also tried his hand at drawing cartoons. He was editor overseeing upcountry news page, editor for the evening edition of Virakesari’s sister newspaper Mithran Varamalar and editor politics and features.

* Ms. Sybil Wettasinghe hails from Gintota Galle. In 1952, Sybil joined Lake House and worked for the Janatha tabloid newspaper as a children’s artist and writer. She contributed to all the newspapers in Lake House as journalist and artist.

In 1983 Sybil resumed working in the Wijaya Newspapers. In 1986 Upali Newspapers invited her to inaugurate a children’s newspaper. She was the pioneer editor of Bindu.

* Mr. S. Hewage Chithrananda was born on July 31, 1945. He started his career as a freelance photographer at Davasa newspaper in 1966. He was also employed at Udaya Newspaper. He joined the Times Group in 1973 as a freelance photographer and worked as a Provincial Photographer and later as the Chief Photographer.

After the closure of the Times Group, he joined Lake House and was appointed Photo Editor. He retired from Lake House in 2002 and started his own studio.

* Mr. Sunil Madawa Premathilaka is an old Anandian. He joined Silumina Newspapers as a very young journalist. During his 19-years service at Lake House he served as the Features Editor and the Assistant Editor. When the Divaina newspaper was started he resigned from Lake House and joined Divaina as the Features Editor. He is also Editor of Lakmina Newspaper. He is also a founder member of the Free Media Movement.