Editorial
World Press Freedom Day
New media for freer democracies
Twenty years into the declaration of World Press Freedom Day, today, the media landscape has been greatly transformed, a change brought in largely by the internet and new media. This year's theme for the day is thus quite rightly, "21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers". Yet, the objective of observing the day and of the spirit behind it, remain the same -- the freedom of expression and freedom of the press as a basic human right.
Without a vibrant press there can be no vibrant democracy, as we have seen in the case of Bangladesh which underwent clampdowns on the press from governments and military rulers almost since its very inception. Throughout the decades of democracy too, it has faced many threats, from governments and, increasingly, corporate pressures, to outright closures of television and news channels, newspapers and the blocking of internet sites by the state. Individual journalists have been vulnerable to threats, with several local journalists being killed in the south-western region of the country some years ago, cases in which justice is yet to be served. True, the press in Bangladesh enjoy more freedom than in many other countries in the world, but the culture of impunity of those who pose a threat to journalists and media freedom must be removed in order to ensure freer media, leading to a more transparent and effective democratic state.
The government's commitment to building a digital Bangladesh is in tune with today's global theme but ways to utilise it to its full potential -- such as by providing widespread access to the internet and promoting it and social networks as platforms for democratic discussion and civic participation, the importance of which we have witnessed in the Arab uprisings this year -- must be borne in mind.
On this day, we reiterate our hope that our media will be given maximum freedom to perform its duties -- a freedom which it in turn will exercise with responsibility. The press should be seen not as an opponent but as a partner in democracy and development.
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