Two-day 4th Networking Conference on News Media in Bangladesh under Covid-19: Role of State and Media Educators’ began today virtually.
Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Jahangirnagar University and DW Academy have jointly organized the conference. State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Murad Hassan MP has inaugurated the program as chief guest.
Vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, Professor Dr Farzana Islam addressed the function as the Guest of Honor, while Professor Dr Golam Rahman, Editor, Ajker Patrika, Professor Dr Mozammel Hoque, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Humanities spoke on occasion as the special guests. On behalf of DW Academy, Michael Karhausen, Head of Department Asia and Europe, DW, Hannah Schempf, press attaché, German Embassy, Dhaka also addressed the inaugural function. Convenor of the Conference, Ameena Islam, Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Department, Jahangirnagar University conducted the inaugural session presided over by Chairperson of the Department Sheikh Adnan Fahad.
Teachers and students of Journalism, Media Studies and Mass Communication Departments of different public and private universities, working journalists, representatives of research bodies were present at the inaugural session. The two-day conference will be conducted with four panel discussions. At the concluding session, Priya Esselborn, country manager of DW, Bangladesh will give vote of thanks. In the light of recommendations put forward by the discussants, a declaration will be made from the conference.
Addressing the inaugural session, State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Murad Hassan MP laid emphasis on integrated efforts from all stakeholders including media owners, editors, journalists, journalists’ unions to ensure professionalism in journalism and other media practices.
Highlighting different government-sponsored steps regarding journalists’ welfare during the corona pandemic, the minister said scores of journalists all across the globe have lost their jobs, wages were cut down, newspapers, tv and radio channels were closed following the disastrous impacts of the corona pandemic on the economy. Bangladesh government, more particularly, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has always been highly supportive to the journalists who are being sacked by the owners during the covid-19 pandemic. The Minister further said in the venture of the government of transforming Bangladesh into the Golden Bangla, dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the journalists, media educators and of course the foreign friends are playing vital role to ensure press freedom and good governance at every sphere of lives. He further mentioned that in line with constitutional obligation, the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina provides all-out support to the media and thus upholds freedom of expression of opinion in the society. In this regard, the Minister mentioned that the government has formed a journalist welfare fund recently to help the journalists facing difficulties due to the corona pandemic. He also mentioned that the government has already announced the 9th wage boards.
Drawing attention of the media owners and practitioners, the State Minister raised a question that ‘can the government alone ensure professionalism and ideal condition of journalism?
On behalf of the media educators Professor Dr Golam Rahman, Professor Dr Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan and Professor Dr Mofizur Rhaman replied to the question of the State Minister regarding ensuring role of media owners and editors to ensure professionalism in the field. Professor Dr Golam Rahman said the government has to ensure full freedom of the press while the media owners, journalists and other stakeholders need to act professionally to ensure ideal condition of journalism in Bangladesh. In this regard, they emphasized on looking into the issue of media ownership patterns by all the stakeholders.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Farzana Islam in her speech called for fact-based journalism for larger interest of establishing truth all across the society. She also put emphasis on doing making news stories on positive happenings of the society and country.
The first panel discussion was held with the title ‘Journalism in Bangladesh under Covid-19: Realities to Face and the Way-outs’. Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Department, Jahangirnagar University conducted the first session. Professor Dr Mofizur Rhaman, Mass Communication and Journalism Department, Dhaka University, Probhash Amin, Head of News, ATN News, Nadia Sharmin, Senior Reporter, Ekattor TV and Fakaruddin Jewel, Head, Ntv spoke as panelists of the first session. Second session of the first day was conducted with the title ‘Journalism on Digital Platforms under COVID-19: Challenges and Dwelling with Falsehoods’ by Rakib Ahmed, Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies Department. Saiful Alam Chowdury, Associate Professor, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, University of Dhaka, M Abul Kalam Azad, Special Story Editor, Dhaka Tribune, & founder of fact-checking platform ‘factkhuji.org, Suliman Niloy, Acting Head of Multimedia Content, bdnews24.com and Maksuda Aziz, Mobile Journalism Specialist, Daily Prothom Alo spoke at the second session as the panelists. A good number of teachers, researchers and students from different public and private universities and working journalists took part at the sessions. Channel I online and Ajker Patrika are the media partners of the conference. Two other sessions titled ‘Safety and job security of journalists during and post-COVID Bangladesh: Role of editors and media educators’ and ‘Creating environment for media and communication research and sources of funding in the post-COVID Bangladesh’ will be held tomorrow.
