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Half of Asia’s ad money now flows to social media platforms, starving traditional outlets says expert

Published

4 months ago

2026/02/13

Nearly fifty per cent of advertising budgets in Asia are now being captured by social media platforms and digital influencers, a shift that is rapidly hollowing out the financial base of traditional media and threatening the future of independent journalism, Regional Advisor – Asia and Africa of International Media Support (Denmark) Dr. Ranga Kalansooriya warned.

Delivering the keynote address on “Emerging new media and the future of print journalism” at the launch of Pathrakala Prasadini — a compilation of mass communication articles by 20 senior scholars and veteran journalists — Dr. Kalansooriya said advertisers were increasingly diverting funds away from television, radio and print towards digital platforms, believing influencer-led promotions to be more “usable, user-friendly and penetrative”.

Sri Lanka’s advertising market for 2025–2026 was estimated at around US$ 400 million, he said. While nearly 90 per cent of that revenue had flowed to traditional media in previous years, the share had now shrunk to about 70 per cent, with roughly 30 per cent going to social media. Of the funds reaching mainstream media, television still commanded around 60 per cent, with radio and print together accounting for about 30 per cent, and the balance spent on billboards and other outdoor advertising.

Television, once the dominant beneficiary of 80–85 per cent of advertising expenditure, had seen its share erode significantly, Dr. Kalansooriya noted, warning that radio and print had been hit the hardest. “If one has money to invest, there are now four or five radio channels on sale,” he observed, underlining the financial distress in the sector.

A further concern, he said, was that much of the advertising money flowing into social media did not remain in Sri Lanka. An estimated 30 per cent of the national advertising budget was remitted overseas to global tech giants such as Meta and Google, as influencers and digital advertisers relied on foreign-owned platforms. This outflow, he warned, was likely to rise to between 35 and 40 per cent in the coming year.

Major advertisers in Sri Lanka had already begun splitting their budgets equally between digital and mainstream media, he said, even as television networks maintained they still commanded the lion’s share. The question, Dr. Kalansooriya cautioned, was whether that dominance could be sustained in the years ahead.

Placing the financial crisis in a broader democratic context, he said the media industry in Sri Lanka had rarely been a consistently profitable enterprise, with owners often subsidising operations through income from other businesses. Advertising revenue had traditionally sustained media institutions, and its erosion now imperilled their survival.

“We speak of the media as the fourth pillar of democracy,” Dr. Kalansooriya said. “There cannot be democracy without independent media. If independent media collapses, democracy collapses with it. Then who performs that role — Facebook, YouTube or TikTok?”

While many traditional media houses had moved into the digital space and begun seeking revenue through subscriptions and monetisation, he warned that this too risked deepening dependence on foreign platforms. Big Tech companies, he argued, were positioning themselves to replace independent media as key arbiters of public discourse, even as they claimed creators benefited from monetisation schemes.

Dr. Kalansooriya said several Asian countries had already begun grappling with the implications of this shift. Governments in the region were exploring mechanisms to support mainstream media, including public funds, regulatory interventions and the mobilisation of local capital. Canada, he noted, had introduced direct financial support for media institutions, while countries such as the Philippines and Indonesia had sought to channel corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds into sustaining news organisations.

He cautioned, however, that reliance on politicised corporate funding carried its own risks. In India, he said, an estimated 90 per cent of traditional media ownership had already shifted into the hands of business interests aligned with the political leadership, leaving only a small fraction of independent outlets, many of them digital.

The keynote address was delivered at an event held at the Russian Cultural Centre in Colombo to mark the launch of Pathrakala Prasadini, published in line with the 70th anniversary conference of the Sri Lanka Press Association and the D. F. Kariyakarawana Memorial Journalism awards. Director of the Colombo Russian House Maria Popova was the guest of honour.

By Saman Indrajith ✍️

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Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 warm-up: Chamari Athapaththu’s 94 helps Sri Lanka beat Pakistan

Published

10 hours ago

2026/06/7

Priyan

File photo: Chamari Athapaththu top-scored for Sri Lanka (Cricinfo)

Captain Chamari Athapaththu’s 94 helped Sri Lanka chase down 169 with ease against Pakistan. Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne together started strongly, putting up a 159-run stand as Sri Lanka won with eight balls to spare.

With the ball, right-arm seamer Chethana Vimukthi, who was called up as the injured Shashini Gimhani’s replacement. for the T20 World Cup, made an impact for Sri Lanka, finishing with figures of 4 for 31. Vimukthi broke the 60-run stand between openers Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza, following which Pakistan lost wickets regularly. Captain Fatima Sana top-scored for Pakistan from No. 7 with 37 to push the total past 150. In reply, Sri Lanka made easy work of the chase, with Athapaththu itting five sixes and nine fours in her 56-ball stay.

Scores:

Sri Lanka Women 169 for 1 in 18.4 overs (Chamari Athapaththu 94, Vishmi Gunaratne 63*; Fatima Sana 1-20 ) beat Pakistan Women 168 for 8 in 20 overs (Muneesha Ali 36, Gull Feroza 26. Ayesha Zafar 10, Saira Jabeen 12, Fatima Sana 37, Aliya Riyaaz 22; Sugandika Kumari 1-33, Chethana Vimukthi 4-31, Malki Madara 1-19, Nimasha Meepage 1-16) by nine wickets

(Cricinfo)

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Open hearing on coal procurement inquiry set for July first week

Published

11 hours ago

2026/06/7

Thilina Walpola

Open hearing of evidence into alleged irregularities in coal procurement is scheduled to begin in the first week of July, while the Presidential Commission of Inquiry continues recording statements from relevant officials, investigators said.

So far, the Commission has recorded statements from around 40 government officials, including members of procurement committees and other personnel attached to institutions involved in coal-related transactions.

Officials said that, depending on evidence gathered during the ongoing inquiry, statements may also be obtained from former ministers if required.

The Commission has also received 28 complaints in connection with alleged irregularities in coal imports and related procurement processes.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake on April 17 appointed a three-member Presidential Commission of Inquiry under the Special Presidential Commissions of Inquiry Act No. 07 of 1978 to probe alleged malpractice in coal imports and electricity generation since the inception of coal-based power generation up to April 16, 2026.

The Commission is chaired by Supreme Court Justice Gihan Kulatunga, with Court of Appeal Judge Aditya Patabendige and High Court Judge Sanjeewa Somaratne serving as members. Former State Ministry Secretary P.V. Bandulasena acts as Secretary to the Commission.

The inquiry covers alleged procurement irregularities, possible financial losses to the State, import of substandard coal, quality inspection failures, contractual breaches and operational issues in power generation, including whether corrective measures were taken where necessary.

It will also identify responsible political authorities, officials of Sri Lanka Coal Company (Private) Limited and suppliers, while recommending legal or administrative action and measures to prevent future lapses.

Meanwhile, the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) is also preparing to table its report on coal procurement in Parliament, with officials from relevant institutions having been summoned during its proceedings. COPE Chairman MP Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera said audit findings had also been considered, and any matters requiring further investigation would be referred to law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities.

News

TNA MP calls for complete repeal of PTA

Published

11 hours ago

2026/06/7

Thilina Walpola

Trincomalee District TNA MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam has submitted a motion to Parliament calling for the immediate repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), arguing that the controversial law has enabled arbitrary detention, torture and the targeting of minority communities for more than four decades.

In his motion, now published in the Addendum to the Order Book of Parliament, the MP urged the Government to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, No. 48 of 1979, in its entirety and refrain from introducing any replacement legislation containing similar provisions.

Rasamanickam contended that the PTA had been used for over 40 years to facilitate prolonged arbitrary detention and to obtain false confessions through torture. He further alleged that the law had disproportionately affected minority communities and civil society groups.

The motion states that there is no justification for maintaining a permanent counter-terrorism law that grants sweeping powers to the authorities.

The TNA legislator argued that existing legal provisions were sufficient to address security threats, noting that terrorism-related offences could already be prosecuted under the Penal Code.

He also pointed out that the Government retained the power to declare a state of emergency when circumstances warranted extraordinary measures, rendering a permanent anti-terrorism framework unnecessary.

Accordingly, the motion calls on Parliament to resolve that the Government take immediate steps to abolish the PTA without replacing it with legislation containing comparable powers.

The Prevention of Terrorism Act, enacted in 1979, has long been the subject of criticism from human rights organisations, civil society groups and international bodies, which have raised concerns over provisions relating to detention without trial and safeguards against abuse.