COLOMBO – A panel of senior editors discussed the importance of covering crisis with speed and accuracy at a recent event in Colombo, highlighting the need for consistent and insightful, public- purpose reporting.
“When Every Second Counts: The Role of Journalists During Crisis Situations, a panel discussion organized by the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) was held on January 30 at the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI)
Moderated by Hana Ibrahim, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily / Weekend Express, the session featured senior practitioners Niresh Eliatamby, Consultant Director News, News 1st; Gagani Weerakoon, Associate Editor, Ceylon Today; and Rajneesh Bhandari, Founder and Chief Editor of the Nepal Investigative Multimedia Journalism Network (NIMJN), who shared insights on the challenges and responsibilities of crisis reporting.
Niresh Eliatamby highlighted the need for government institutions to better integrate the media into their operations, particularly regarding public warning systems. He observed that, despite limited coordination and timely information from key authorities, media outlets continued alerting the public. He stressed on the importance of training officials in real-time emergency communication and ensuring that messages are delivered in all three national languages.
Ceylon Today’s Gagani Weerakoon examined the systemic failures in journalism and the realistic constraints within the newsrooms that make it difficult for journalists to fulfil their responsibility with regard to disaster communications. Comparing past and recent disasters, she observed a decline in effective communication between authorities and the media contributing to the current status, alongside newsrooms being short-staffed and poorly resourced, overworked reporters, and the erosion of the good practice of field reporting. She cautioned against the rush for breaking news driven by social media, highlighting the need for verification, ethical responsibility, follow-up reporting, and long-term preparedness over speed or sensationalism.
Rajneesh Bhandari reflected on the rapidly evolving media landscape, emphasizing the need for journalism to critically reassess its practices and sustainability. Drawing on experiences from Nepal, he noted the dedication of young journalists navigating financial instability and multiple roles. He warned that shrinking newsrooms, growing corporate influence, and the rapid spread of misinformation threatened journalism’s public-serving role. Calling for a “journalism reboot,” he stressed credibility, empathy, responsible disaster reporting, and stronger regional narratives through South Asian collaboration.
The discussion concluded by reinforcing the critical role of responsible journalism during crises, emphasizing collaboration, professional standards, and ethical reporting as essential for keeping communities informed and safe.
