Media reform commission to be formed in consultation with stakeholders: Nahid

Information and Broadcasting Adviser Md. Nahid Islam today said that a media reform commission would be formed in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.

“This matter is being discussed formally and informally with the concerned media persons,” he said while addressing an open-discussion on “Reforms of Media: Why? How?” at the National Press Club here.

Mentioning that salaries of journalists should be ensured as per the Wage Board, the advisor said that there is no scope to treat journalists like a slave.

About the professionalism of journalists, Nahid Islam, also the adviser of the ministry of posts, telecommunications and information technology, said, “All the issues are being reviewed that why journalists can’t work with professionalism.”

He, however, observed that media literacy has not developed in the country, saying the culture of professionalism in the media is absent in Bangladesh.

“A required measure would be taken on the basis of consensus following discussion with the stakeholders (of media),” he said, adding that journalist organizations have an important role in this regard.

Referring to the recent student-people uprising, the advisor said that this revolution is a big case-study for the media. “The role of the media in this coup must be closely reviewed.”

He noted that many journalists used to collect news at the field level during the movement, but that news wouldn’t be published due to media house policy.

Nahid Islam stated that electronic media didn’t publish any information in favor of the movement during the student-people uprising, saying the country’s people knew what the electronic media aired at that time.

“There was no institutional resistance of journalists in this revolution,” he observed.

He also opined that professionalism of journalists is an important foundation for the free media, stressing the need of baiting the young in this profession alongside ensuring the professionalism of journalists during the days ahead.

The information and broadcasting adviser also laid emphasis on the reform of the state-run media.

Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam, Director General of Press Institute Bangladesh Faruk Wasif, and Dhaka University’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism teacher Dr. Saiful Alam Chowdhury, among others, also spoke.

Journalist Jimmy Amir presented the keynote in this discussion organized by Media Support Network. (BSS)