Avani Dias – the aspiring journalist-by ISURU THAMBAWITA
Source:Sundayobserver
Journalism is not alien to her because she was born in a journalistic atmosphere. Her mother Muditha Dias, a journalist who made a commendable contribution to Sri Lanka’s flagship English Language newspaper ‘The Sunday Observer’.
Her grandfather S. Piyasena was also a veteran journalist who was a vibrant ray of light to Lake House. He retired as the press secretary to President J.R. Jayewardena.
She is none other than aspiring journalist Avani Dias. Born on November 15, 1991 in Wattle Grove, New South Wales, Avani did her degree at the University of Sydney. At present, Avani Dias is a Sri Lankan-Australian Journalist and radio presenter. It is noteworthy to mention that Avani has been appointed as the correspondent of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). She will be based in New Delhi from January 2022.
Young age
Avani started her journalistic career at a young age. “I started my career as a journalist at a young age. My mother is a journalist. My grandfather is a journalist. They all have been involved in the field of journalism,” she said. She began to contribute articles to the student newspaper of the Sydney University titled “Honi Soit.”
In 2013 she was elected as one of the ten editors for the student newspaper of the same university.
She has revealed her brilliance in her journalistic career through her work. Before working at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, she worked at the independent radio station FBi Radio and online newspaper ‘The New Daily’.
Avani has written for ‘The New Daily’ from 2015 to 2017. Significantly, she has established herself as a cross-media reporter for Triple J’s Youth Current affairs program Hack. Surprisingly, she is a multi-platform reporter for ABC news in Sydney.
She worked for the Darwin Newsroom across all platforms where she focused on indigenous affairs. It is noteworthy to mention that Avani Dias is one of the luminaries in the field of journalism.
She has showcased her talents in different ways to the world. She has anchored the 7 pm TV news bulletin in Darwin. Furthermore, it should be noted that Avani joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as a production assistant. She could broaden her horizons by working for the ABC.
Her achievements
Avani has been nominated for various awards such as the Public Interest Awards at the New South Wales Premier’s Multicultural Communication Awards in 2019, Young Australian Journalist of the Year award and the Radio, Audio News and Current Affairs award at the Walkley Awards in 2919 and 2020.
In addition, she has been awarded an ABC News cadetship in 2015. Speaking of her achievements, it is significant to mention that Avani has been appointed as the South Asia correspondent of the ABC. The ‘Daily Mail’ too carried a report on her career and her future aspirations.
Support from her parents
“My parents supported me to achieve my goals. They encouraged me to stay in the field of journalism. My whole family has been involved in journalism. Therefore, they allowed me to do what I wanted,” Avani recalled.
Journalists’ responsibilities
To my question about the current situation in the field of journalism, she said that the journalism in Sri Lanka is thriving. As noted by her, many newspapers have also emerged in the country. In addition, she did not forget to focus on the responsibilities of journalists.
“Journalists should be responsible for ensuring the credibility and transparency of news. They should not hush up information from the public,” Avani stressed. There is no doubt that we all want a sane media culture for a better society. The vital role played by journalists can never be underestimated because they educate the public about social issues and the impact of such issues on their lives. Evidently, people like Avani can add new dimensions to the field of journalism. isurulakpriyathambawita@gmail.com
