Describing truthfulness and objectivity as the core strength of journalism, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Zahir Uddin Swapan has said positive activism can have a role in the public interest, but that any specific agenda or bias can damage the neutrality of journalism. In the end, everyone has to stand face to face with the truth, he said.
He made the remarks as chief guest at a discussion on Sunday (2 August) morning marking the 64th founding anniversary of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University. The discussion, titled “The interlinkage of politics, power and journalism: theory, reality and the future”, was held at the Professor Mozaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium of the university’s Faculty of Social Sciences.
M Zahir Uddin Swapan said one of the foundations of a democratic state was a free and effective media. Where independent journalism is absent, the democratic structure also becomes weak, he said, calling for the highest priority to be given to truthfulness, objectivity and the public interest in presenting news.
He said welfare-oriented activism could play a positive role in shaping public opinion, but that such a role must never undermine the neutrality of news presentation or professional standards.
Turning to politics and democracy, the information minister said many governments elected by popular vote had later concentrated power in their own hands. To keep the democratic environment alive, there was a need to respect dissent and plurality of opinion and to build a culture of mutual understanding, he said.
Referring to the July mass uprising, he said some journalists had played a role by supporting the then government at that time, while a section of journalists had also taken a stand against those who tried to present the real events. In his words, the main responsibility of journalists at important moments in history is to bring out the truth, because in the end it is the truth that prevails.
The information minister also said the spread of disinformation and fake information was now a major challenge for journalism. Because of advances in technology, misleading information was spreading rapidly, he said, so the importance of fact-checking, responsible news presentation and adherence to professional ethics had grown more than ever.
He said the government had taken steps to form a media commission to ensure a balance between media freedom, accountability and good governance. He expressed hope that the commission would help make the media sector stronger, more responsible and more effective.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report