Mahfuz Anam is the editor and publisher of Bangladesh’s top English daily, The Daily Star, and also the president of the Bangladesh Editor’s Council. He keenly observes developments in journalism and the news media. The problems which have cropped up for media globally over the past decade or so, have been exacerbated by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bangladesh’s media has been hit hard too. In this backdrop, Mahfuz Anam speaks in an interview with Prothom Alo about journalism in this country, as well as the challenges and possibilities that lie ahead.
Long before the onset of coronavirus, media worldwide had been facing revenue problems. During the pandemic, this problem has become a crisis. Some say this has been the biggest threat to the very existence of media. How hard has Bangladesh’s media been hit by the crisis?
Advertisements are the main source of revenue for newspapers. Until digital media arrived on the scene, newspapers were the most attractive space for advertisements. But with the expansion of the digital platforms, especially Google, Facebook, etc, the source of income for newspapers faces a massive problem. Around 60 to 70 per cent of the advertisements go to the digital platforms. The newspapers have to compete for the rest. And with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic activities have shrunk. This has had a considerable negative impact on advertisement revenue. Never before has the very existence of newspapers faced such a serious crisis. This applies to Bangladesh as to any other country of the world.
So how will professional journalism survive? Or is journalism on the brink of extinction?
Not at all! Quite on the contrary, this is a great turning point for change. Journalism faces a great opportunity for change. In Europe and America, the circulation of printed newspapers has faced slump. In fact, many newspapers have closed down and many online news portals have emerged and are emerging. The change of journalism has arrived in an emerging technological environment. I see this as a positive development.
But what about the emerging financial crisis faced by the news media? Readers can access online media content free of charge and most advertisements go to Google, Facebook and such non-journalistic platforms.
If we create a pay-wall, ask then to pay and become digital subscribers, they may initially move away to news portals they can access for free. But then they will return to us when they find they do not get credible news and analytical articles elsewhere
The bottom line is change. Change has begun and it will continue. There will be change in readership, in journalism, in journalists, in advertisers, changes everywhere. The possible scenario must be visualised through an overall change. Say, if we become a completely digital media, then what? A Daily Star reader now receives the newspaper every morning at his doorstep. He has to wait till the next morning for the next news. But in the digital media a reader is being updated constantly. We are not having to depend on our newspaper distribution system, the hawkers and so on. News is being updated online. We are saving on the cost of newsprint, printing, distribution and so on. As a result, the business model of news media is changing.
Will the readers be willing to eventually pay for content online? What are the prospects for online subscriptions in Bangladesh?
I think there will be a gradual change in readers’ mindsets, their habits. For example, people in large number have turned to online shopping and they find it convenient. We couldn’t even imagine about this before. This will happen in the case of news media too. Of course, readers have got used of reading online news. If we create a pay-wall, ask then to pay and become digital subscribers, they may initially move away to news portals they can access for free. But then they will return to us when they find they do not get credible news and analytical articles elsewhere. So a huge opportunity has emerged for quality journalism. Readers will return to media houses of the highest standard and quality. They will access the content by becoming digital subscribers.
There are two examples of success in this regard. One is the New York Times which has 6.5 millions who pay to read the paper online. They are paying subscribers. Another example is the Guardian. Then there is the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and other papers whose digital subscribers are on a steady rise.
How long do you think it will take for such paying digital subscribers in Bangladesh, given the country’s circumstances?
We will have to prepare well before we go for a full-fledged pay-wall. That means ensuring quality journalism. People will revert to quality news media. If readers turn away from the pay-wall, they must feel that they are deprived of accurate, genuine, essential information, news and analysis. If that quality journalism is to be ensured, we must create skilled journalists, improve our management and reach technological excellence. I am hopeful. There are bright prospects for journalism to flourish on a digital platform in Bangladesh.
When we publish ads in this country, the government takes VAT and income tax. But Google and Facebook is taking millions of taka from this country without paying any tax. Again, they are making money by using content for the news media of our country and so something certainly must be done about this.
Is there anything for the government to do regarding the crisis created for the news media by the COVID-19 outbreak?
There certainly are many things for the government to do. It has provided stimulus for many sectors, but not to the news media. We have not even received our pending payments for government advertisements. We have met with the information minister several times and have written in the media. We have requested for our dues to be paid as soon as possible, but that has not happened. I feel that the government is not giving due credit to the news media for the role it plays in the proper running of the society and the country.
Recently a draft law has been drawn up in Australia, saying that since Google, Facebook and such platforms get advertisements by using content from the news media, they will have to share that revenue with the news media as well. Can’t Bangladesh do something like that?
It certainly can and that will be inevitable. Even the European Union is thinking on those lines. This will gradually happen. The Bangladesh government needs to look into this too.
When we publish ads in this country, the government takes VAT and income tax. But Google and Facebook is taking millions of taka from this country without paying any tax. Again, they are making money by using content for the news media of our country and so something certainly must be done about this. Our proposal is that Google, Facebook, etc must have registered offices in this country that will follow the rules and regulations like any other multinational company, paying taxes, etc. Then the issue of using our news media content will arise because they are making profits using this content. So why won’t they share the revenue with us? Our government should certainly take the Australian example into cognizance and the media in our country should also raise such a demand.
This interview appeared in the print and online editions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir
