14/09/2026
Television is an important part of our everyday lives, but we rarely think about the people, technology, creativity, and teamwork behind what we see.
With an opportunity to take learning beyond the classroom, the MEDIA UNIT OF SERENDiB COLLEGE had the privilege of visiting Derana TV for an insightful field experience. What began as a visit to a television channel soon became an opportunity to discover the much wider world of modern media.
One of the most valuable insights from the visit was realizing that Derana is much more than a television channel. It has grown into a broad media network covering television, news, radio, written and digital media, social media, YouTube, gaming, animation, and other creative and technological areas.
📺 Television provides news, information, and entertainment.
📻 Radio connects with audiences through another powerful medium.
📰 Digital and written media deliver news and information in different formats.
📱 TikTok and Instagram allow content to reach audiences quickly and interactively.
▶️ YouTube extends video content beyond traditional broadcasting.
🎮 Gaming and animation demonstrate how technology and creativity are shaping modern entertainment.
The visit helped students understand that media is no longer limited to a television screen. Modern audiences move between television, radio, websites, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and other platforms. This requires media organizations to constantly adapt to changing technology and audience preferences.
Students were also able to experience the professional studio environment and see cameras, lighting, microphones, sets, editing systems, graphics, and broadcasting equipment up close. The control room provided another fascinating insight into how camera feeds, sound, graphics, and other technical elements are coordinated to create the content audiences see.
Perhaps the strongest lesson was the connection between technology and creativity. Behind every programme, news report, video, or social media post is a team involved in planning, production, editing, communication, and distribution. The experience showed students that successful media requires not only technical knowledge but also creativity, teamwork, communication, and adaptability.
The visit also connected classroom learning with the real world. Concepts related to ICT, business, communication, digital technology, creativity, and teamwork could be seen in practical application. It highlighted the wide range of career opportunities available in the media industry, including journalism, broadcasting, photography, video editing, graphic design, animation, digital marketing, social media management, programming, gaming, and many more.
Before the visit, many of us may have associated Derana mainly with television. After the visit, we began to see it as part of a much broader and interconnected media ecosystem.
Our visit to TV was therefore much more than a conventional field trip. It was a journey from watching media to understanding media.
As we left, we carried more than photographs and memories. We left with a deeper appreciation for the people, ideas, technology, planning, and teamwork behind every piece of content we consume.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Althaaf Hameed for his valuable support in arranging the meeting and making this field experience possible.
We also express our sincere appreciation to Mr. Aruna Soysa for taking his valuable time to guide us throughout Derana and for sharing his knowledge and insights with our students. His guidance made the visit both informative and memorable.
We are truly grateful to both of them for helping our students step beyond the screen and experience the world of professional media first-hand.
