Media Houses
Internews established the Matara Media House on July 31, 2006. It runs training programs for journalists and community groups, and has a radio studio and production equipment, field recorders, computers, fax, and Internet resources for journalists.
Local journalist and CBO trainees at the Matara Media House produce a Local Voices radio program in Sinhalese which is broadcast on Ruhunu Sevaya FM every Sunday (107.2 MHz and 105.4 MHz from 10:00 am to 10:45 am). It is the most comprehensive radio program dealing with community and social issues and current event available to local audiences. Programs explore local problems, and frequently have a focus on discussing potential solutions to those problems.
Internews launched the East Media Houses in August 2006 in the towns of Ampara and Kalmunai, with facilities including computers, fax, and Internet resources for professional journalists and a fully-equipped radio broadcast production studio. It runs training programs for journalists and youth, community forum discussions, and hosts cross-productions for journalists from other regions.
Each week, the East Media house produces a 30-minute radio program called Local Voices (previously called Real Voices) in Sinhala and Tamil. The Sinhala program is broadcast through Uva Radio on Sundays (87.6 MHz from 6:15 pm to 6:45 pm) and the Tamil program is broadcast on Saturdays through Pirai FM (102 MHz from 5:00 pm to 5:30 pm).
In January 2010, the East Media House in Ampara moved to a more spacious and accessible location, with improved facilities for radio production, video editing, and training.
In January 2010, Internews also opened a new media house in Batticaloa, Eastern Province. The Batticaloa Media House is a resource center providing computer, internet, fax, and phone facilities for provincial journalists. The Media House also has a fully-equipped broadcast production studio for radio production. The Batticaloa Media House also provided support to a USAID pilot program in Vaharai, producing a radio drama, citizen video documentaries, and a newsletter.
Internews opened its newest media house in Trincomalee on June 2, 2010. Designed as an IT resource for journalists working in new media, the Trincomalee Media House provides IT training and facilities for eastern journalists through its computer training center and on-line audio and video editing equipment. The Trincomalee Media House is managed in collaboration with the Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Trincomalee District. It also works closely with the Trincomalee District Media Society, an inclusive multi-ethnic association for journalists in Trincomalee.
Read and listen to the Local Voices programs produced at the Media Houses on the Local Voices website at localvoices.internews.lk >>
