Freedom of expression has been constrained by newer, critical challenges across the globe, editors and media advocates from around the world said in Dhaka on Friday, calling for continuing fight to reclaim ethos of journalism.
They regretted the tendency of the rulers to deny freedom of the press as enshrined in the constitutions of most countries in today’s world.
The media professionals also expressed apprehensions that the incidents that explicitly and implicitly curtail media freedom, might increase in view of the revival of prejudice, chauvinism, racism, and rise of anti-immigration policy and Islamophobia.
Their observations came at an exchange of views meeting, organised by Prothom Alo to hear from senior journalists and media practitioners who came to Dhaka to join the observance of 18 years of publication of the country’s largest Bangla daily newspaper.
Over twenty foreign media practitioners including editors of different newspapers from different regions, media professionals and activists joined the meeting at Prothom Alo’s Karwanbazar office.
Journalists spoke of problems and challenges they face in their respective countries and touched on some in the Bangladesh context.
Pointing out the challenges facing the media across the globe, some of them observed that the media professionals would have to live with those challenges to continue the media’s fight for freedom of expression.
Some of them even called for an introspection to reclaim journalism, a profession that is meant for upholding rights and interests of the people.
“We’re losing values of independent journalism across the globe. It is our biggest problem,” the International Press Institute executive director Barbara Trionfi told the views exchange meeting.
That is why, she pointed out, the people’s lack of trust in the media is increasing.
She went on to say the journalists are outspoken and they criticise the government for checks and balance and that’s why journalists face constraints like sedition charges and sentences.
She called on the media practitioners to put forth a set of suggestions as to how to overcome the challenges at hand.
The media practitioners said social media has thrown a big challenge for journalism. The election of Donald Trump as US president shows the rise of extreme forces in society and also shortcomings of the media, they said.
BBC Scotland’s managing editor for North East and Northern Isles Sandy Bremner said the media face some common challenges globally apart from national ones.
He said the media globally work defying several common challenges like rumours in social media, corporate pressures, political pressures and legal system.
South Asia news director for The Associated Press Bernat Armangu called for facing the challenges in unison. “Things are getting complicated. We should take care of ourselves. We need to bring solidarity between us.”
Group Editor of Indian daily Dainik Bhaskar Prakash Dubey, also the member of the Indian press council and general secretary of Editors Guild of India, echoed Bernat and said things are going to get worse for journalism globally in the coming days.
The chief editor of The Indian Express, Raj Kamal Jha, noted that the biggest challenge is to reclaim journalism by reaching out to the people who are not often asked for comments.
Critical of television journalism practised these days, he said, “Televisions are making the governments feel that journalism is the government’s.”
He termed nationalism and development as the two weapons of mass destruction for journaism as they constrain media freedom.
Indian daily The Hindu’s editor Mukund Padmanabhan said the media in his country face the problems the way the media in other countries do.
He referred to several laws that have been what he said were instrumental to harassment of the media people in India.
He called for raising the issue through collective voice.
Regretting that the media now take easily available, dominant sound bites, he called upon the media to reach out to the poorer and grassroots people to make their voices heard.
Dwelling on repressive measures on the two Bangladeshi dailies -Prothom Alo and The Daily Star – such as filing cases to cause harassment and stopping advertisement, general secretary of Indo-Bangla Moitree Shuvodeep Dutta said it is the medal of success of the newspapers.
He said the repression manifests that the newspapers are on the right track in pursuing journalism.
“The more number of cases you will be accused in, the more readership you will get.”
Many of them called for woman’s increasing participation in journalism to ensure gender parity not only in the media but also in society.
The Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam, who moderated the meeting, said apart from internal and national challenges of the media houses, revival of prejudice, increasing national chauvinism, anti-migrant attitude, Islamophobia and rise of racism stand out to be bigger challenges for the media around the world.
Among others, Austria-based International Press Institute executive board chairman John Yearwood, editor-in-chief of Nepal’s highest circulating daily Kantipur Sudheer Sharma, diplomatic editor of Finland’s leading daily Helsingin Sanomat Kuri Huhta, Slovakian journalist Matus Krcmarik, editor of Bhutanese daily Kuensel Rinzin Wangchuk, editor (publishing department) of Kuensel Ugyen Penjor, president of South Asian Women in Media, India and Delhi-based senior journalist Jyoti Malhotra, editor of Shillong Times Patricia Mukhim, editor of Assamese Bangla daily Dainik Samayik Prasanga Taimur Raja Choudhury, programme manager of International Media Support Esben Q Harboe, managing director of WAN-IFRA South Asia Magdoom Mohamed and senior assistant editor of Anandabazar Patrika Swati Mukherjee also spoke on the occasion.
Prothom Alo editor Matiur Rahman welcomed the guests and gave concluding speech of the programme.
Transcom group chairman Latifur Rahman and senior journalists from Prothom Alo also attended the programme.
Source: Prothom Alo
