After the fall of the Hasina-led autocratic regime in Bangladesh, a testament to the inspiring courage and unwavering determination of the students and youths, one of the critical areas that comes under focus is the current status of the press and its future. It is disheartening to note that the mainstream media, both print and electronic, has largely failed to play due role during the movement that reached its peak in July. Except for a few of the media outlets, most of the houses were timid about covering and presenting the real picture of the movement that ultimately turned into a mass upspring. Instead, some of the media outlets, especially some television channels, shamelessly backed the autocratic ruler to suppress the movement brutally. As a result,, the print and the electronic media lost people's trust. And it is the social media and some digital outlets that came to fill the vacuum where a kind of netizen journalism proliferated extending a strong support to the vital movement.
Thus, the need for a thorough soul-searching of the country's media is now more pressing than ever if it truly wants to play its due role in the coming days and flourish professionally. A discussion meeting held last week in Dhaka may be considered as such an initiative where a number of journalists and media people tried to do some brainstorming in this connection. A critical question raised at the discussion is whether journalism is a profession in the country. Titled as 'Reform in Media: Why and How,' the concept note of the meeting outlined a brief sketch to find out an answer that included various shortcomings of the media in the country. Sad to say, most of the discussants agreed that the current situation of media and journalism is disgraceful. So, the relevant question as to what makes the journalism disgraceful in the country was raised. The quick answer was that it is the lack, if not absence, of professionalism. The answer requires some explanation, however.
Journalistic professionalism may be defined as 'a profound commitment to a set of ethical principles and standards that govern the actions and responsibilities of journalists.' At the core of the professionalism lies truth and accuracy. Journalists are assigned to and responsible for delivering accurate and precise information to people objectively. They are also required to do rigorous fact-checking and careful verification of sources before producing the news or disseminating the information. They are also subject to being dispassionate and avoiding loyalty to any regime, political party, or group, although they may have some ideological biases. Media houses or outlets are thus entrusted to provide the required support to the journalists, media persons, or pressmen to do their job. In other words, what applies to a journalist to become a professional also applies to a media outlet. When someone chooses journalism as a profession or sets up a media outlet, be it a newspaper or electronic platform, they commit to follow the ethics, principles, standards and norms of professionalism.
There is no denying that journalistic professionalism was severely compromised during the last one decade and a half as many media outlets became loyal to the autocratic government. A good number of journalists proudly identified themselves as soldiers or cadres of Hasina and her party, and some of them even started to worship her. These media outlets and journalists also forced others to either follow them or remain silent by not raising any questions about any misdeed of the Hasina regime. In exchange, these Hasina-loyal media owners and journalists were rewarded with undue cash and kind. In this process, the media turned into a hub of misinformation and disinformation instead of reliable information.
To ensure the control of the press, the autocratic regime also introduced a series of oppressive acts. The few media outlets and journalists struggling to maintain professionalism came under stringent surveillance and intervention from different government agencies. So, these media outlets were also forced to subdue their stance as it became harder to fight against the autocratic regime, especially when a large number of newspapers, television channels and digital platforms became highly pro-regime. The Hasina government also permitted many media outlets to operate only to create unhealthy competition. The core idea behind the move was to weaken the media from witin. That's why more than 50 television channels and 300 national dailies can't pay their staffers regularly. Job cuts and poor salaries are two common things in the media industry in the country now.
Nobody compels anyone to publish a newspaper, launch a television channel or set up a digital media outlet. But, when someone comes to do it, they have to do it professionally. Otherwise, there is no need to do so. It can't be an excuse that poor financial conditions or lack of adequate investment forces some media houses to compromise journalistic professionalism. It is essential to think twice before initiating any media outlet and face various roadblocks to moving ahead once in the field. It is also inappropriate to expect financial support from the government for survival.
A democratic government is indeed responsible for ensuring a conducive environment for professional journalism by providing a necessary legal framework, reducing undue obstacles and interventions. As the ousted Hasina regime was not a democratic one, there was no reason for it to ensure a conducive environment for a free press. Instead, it deployed various tools to curb professionalism among the journalists, divide the media to weaken its strength, and instil corruption in media. So, a course correction in media is necessary, which is not easy. Nevertheless, the move to reform the media for its betterment is an imperative, and journalists must be active in this regard.
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