Center for Investigative Reporting Sri Lanka, launched “The_BufferZone”, a new environmental multimedia storytelling platform in a live virtual event today, 22nd April 2021.
Buffer Zone is an initiative by the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) in collaboration with the Earth Journalism Network (EJN). The virtual launch of the platform was followed by an expert discussion on key aspects of environmental storytelling with special emphasis on ‘Stories from the Margins’.
The new platform seeks to fulfill a long-felt need of providing detailed, balanced environment-related information and knowledge to audiences in the local languages, Sinhala and Tamil. Bufferzone web platform is now available live on www.bufferzone.lk.
It will serve as an online space for knowledge sharing, compelling storytelling and awareness creation among journalists, scientists, environmentalists, youth, and citizens at large.
James Fahn, Executive Director, Earth Journalism Network (EJN) and a lecturer with UC Berkley’s Graduate School of Journalism delivering the keynote speech discussed about various issues faced by journalists in reporting environmental issues and how we can use these new communication tools to overcome those challenges.
After the keynote speech a panel discussion started with the participation of James Fahn, Stella Paul – Project Officer- Environment and Health, EJN, Dr. Sevvandy Jayakody, Senior Lecturer, Wayamba University Sri Lanka, Joydeep Gupta, South Asia Director, The Third Pole and Malaka Rodrigo, environmental journalist. In this discussion many issues faced by journalists in communicating science were discussed.
Dilrukshi Handunneththi from CIR Sri Lanka moderated the panel discussion.
After the panel discussion the bufferzone team introduced the bufferzone platform highlighting the different sections and the content available and going to be available in those sections.
