by Our Correspondent in Colombo
Journalists at a leading English-language daily in Sri Lanka have reportedly threatened industrial action after two months of unpaid allowances and the non-payment of February salaries, deepening anxiety within a media industry already under intense financial strain. The warning from newsroom staff has brought renewed scrutiny to Wijeya Newspapers Ltd., one of the country’s most prominent publishing houses, amid allegations of internal mismanagement and misplaced investment priorities.
According to employees familiar with the situation, management has informed staff that salaries for non-executive grade employees will be paid on March 5, while executive grade employees are expected to receive their payments after March 10. While the announcement offers a tentative timeline, journalists say the delays are part of a longer pattern of irregular salary payments that has stretched back several years, creating severe financial hardship for many employees.
For reporters, editors, photographers, and digital producers, the unpredictability of monthly income has had tangible consequences. Staff members say they are struggling to meet rent, utility bills, school fees, and loan repayments. Some have reportedly turned to borrowing from friends and family to manage essential expenses. The mounting pressure has led journalists to warn that they may take further action if outstanding dues are not settled and a reliable payment structure is not established.
The crisis unfolds against a backdrop of enormous challenges facing Sri Lanka’s print media industry as a whole. Rising production costs, declining print circulation, shrinking advertising revenue, and the shift of audiences to digital platforms have placed traditional publishers under sustained pressure. The country’s broader economic turmoil in recent years, marked by inflation and currency depreciation, has further escalated costs for newsprint, ink, and distribution.
However, reliable sources within Wijeya Newspapers suggest that the difficulties confronting the company extend beyond external economic factors. Insiders allege that certain members of the higher management did not prioritize strengthening the core newspaper business despite continued revenue generation from its publications. Instead, they claim, substantial funds were allocated to other ventures, including the establishment of a private university and additional projects outside the media sector.
According to these sources, the private university initiative failed to deliver expected returns and ultimately became a financial liability. What had been envisioned as a diversification strategy reportedly turned into a costly setback, draining resources that might otherwise have been reinvested in the publishing arm. Employees critical of the decision argue that the diversion of funds weakened the company’s ability to manage cash flow and meet its obligations to staff.
Diversification is not uncommon among media companies seeking to offset declining advertising revenues. Across the globe, publishers have expanded into education, events, broadcasting, and digital services in an effort to create new income streams. Yet critics within Wijeya Newspapers contend that any diversification must be balanced with safeguarding the stability of the core business. They argue that reinvesting in digital innovation, newsroom development, and operational efficiency could have better positioned the company to navigate industry headwinds.
