Given Sri Lanka’s history of ethnic civil war (1983–2009) and authoritarian moments, news media has always been a contested entertainment space.
Television is a popular medium for entertainment and news in Sri Lanka, with a large number of channels and programs catering to diverse interests. The country's television industry has grown significantly since the 1980s, with the introduction of private television channels and satellite TV.
YouTube creators have bypassed the gatekeepers of television entirely. The most successful Sri Lankan YouTube channels are a case study in low-budget, high-relevance content: