Media worries over freedom, ethics

News media editors and senior journalists yesterday called for bolstering ethical practices in the field, saying the media has to play its due role in strengthening democracy, although money has started influencing it, and some politicians are attacking it viciously.

Condemning some lawmakers' recent diatribes against the media in the parliament, the journalists said despite some mistakes, the media in Bangladesh has always favoured democracy, but politicians often forget that.

At a roundtable, the journalists said there must be a policy for issuing licenses to electronic media outlets, cautioning that political considerations in the process for the last several years have led to instability in the sector to a great extent.

Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad, however, said the present government believes in full freedom of the press, and comments of an individual member of the parliament can never be the official statement of the government which considers the media as a complementary force.

He endorsed the need for a qualitative change in the media, and said the government will use the Press Institute of Bangladesh to that end, and will take steps to make the National Press Council effective.

The daily Prothom Alo organised the roundtable on "Freedom of Mass Media and Accountability" in the conference room of its office in the capital.

"Never before had I seen in my professional life the way the media was attacked in the parliament recently, without giving it the opportunity to defend itself," said the daily Samkal Editor Golam Sarwar.

"Interestingly, the Speaker of the House also joined in the attack, and that raises the question whether the attack was planned," he said, adding that the country's media is passing through a difficult period, when money and power are influencing it.

He said it has been reported that the purview of the contempt of court charge is expanding, if so, that will affect press freedom.

"A vile campaign has been launched lately, maligning the reputation of the Prothom Alo editor, we all should unitedly protest against it," he said.

President of the Federal Union of Journalists Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury said the parliament and the media have their due roles, and if anyone fails to carry out the duties, that person or institution could be criticised, but with due respect.

"The media must be objective. Otherwise, vested quarters will interfere with its independence," he said.

People with money, who are not professional journalists, are now becoming editors of news outlets, the ultimate result of which will not be good, he added noting, unlimited infusion of capital in the media industry could create bubbles, and that would affect journalists in the future.

Political considerations in issuing licenses could destabilise the media, he cautioned.

The News Today Editor Reazuddin Ahmed echoed Iqbal Sobhan on the point, saying, the same is true for cancellation of licenses as well.

"This eventually creates self-censorship in the media," he said, suggesting that there should be a policy on the electronic media. Ethical and professional standards could ensure 80 percent of the media accountability, he said.

CEO and Editor-in-chief of Boishakhi Television Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul said the audience of both politicians and journalists is the people. Conflicts between the two arise when they deviate from their responsibilities, he added.

Since the opposition party does not go to the parliament, the news media has to play the role of opposition to a certain extent, and that makes the government think the media is favouring the opposition, he said.

Some journalists nowadays are however influenced by money, while there are signs that the same is true for members of the parliament as well, he added. Strengthening media related institutions could solve some of the problems in the media to an extent, he said.

ABC Radio Head of News and Programme Salahuddin Lablu said the electronic media remains under constant threat of shutdown, as the outlets have to renew licenses and frequency allocation periods every year.

Channel i Head of News Shykh Seraj said orders have been issued that private TV channels must telecast state owned BTV's news, which is quite unreasonable.

New Age Editor Nurul Kabir said the media as a whole has been playing a much better role than the politicians.

He said some newspapers published reports provided by the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) accusing politicians without incorporating what the accused had to say, during the last caretaker regime.

Nasty discussions take place in the parliament regarding the media, judges go beyond their jurisdictions to send journalists to jail on charges of contempt of court, the executive branch of the government also represses the media, if all three branches of the state act like that then the media falls into a crisis, he added.

Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman said the media is the fourth column of the state. Most of the news media outlets in the country are in favour of the liberation war, secularism, and freedom. The media keeps the government accountable by pointing out its mistakes. The media's accountability is to its audience, he said.

The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam suggested forming an editors' forum to improve the ethical and professional practices in the media, and requested the information minister not to frame any media policy without inputs from journalists.

The Independent Editor Mahbubul Alam endorsed the proposal, saying a strong media is vital for a democratic society.

Information Minister Abul Kalam Azad said he will convey the concerns of the media personalities to the prime minister.

Columnists ABM Musa, Syed Abul Maksud, and Muhammad Jahangir; Nayadiganta Editor Alamgir Mohiuddin, Dhaka University Journalism Department Chairperson Giti Ara Nasreen, Amader Somoy Editor Nayeemul Islam Khan, Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Dutt, Machranga Television's Head of News Shah Alamgir, ATN Bangla's Chief News Editor J E Mamun, ATN News channel's Head of News Munni Shaha, and Daily Korotoa Editor Mozammel Haque also spoke.