Advisory committee to finalise media reform proposals: Info minister

The government will form an advisory committee to prepare final proposals on media reform, drawing on stakeholder discussions, recommendations and policy proposals already made, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said today.

Media reform is not the government’s responsibility alone, the minister said while speaking at the event “PIMHIE Learning Sharing: From Policy Reform to Newsroom Practices”, organised by BBC Media Action at a Dhaka hotel, according to a press release.

“It is a joint responsibility of the government, media, development partners and civil society. The government will work as a stakeholder in this sector and also play the role of coordinator on behalf of the state,” he said.

The event was held under the Public Interest Media and Healthy Information Environments project, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

The minister said the government intended to advance media reform by taking all stakeholders along, adding that support from development partners, journalist organisations and media institutions would be viewed positively.

Prime Minister's Adviser on Information and Broadcasting Zahed Ur Rahman said the present government would not enact any law that obstructs freedom of expression.

He added that an independent and ethical media is essential in a democratic environment, while ensuring a safe and supportive environment for journalists is now necessary.

British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Sarah Cook said Bangladesh’s media sector faces challenges ranging from strict legal restrictions and political and business pressure to misinformation and concerns over journalists’ safety, job security and professional independence.

She said the government’s reform plans had opened new possibilities, and the UK was willing to work closely with Bangladesh to help build a responsible, credible and free media environment.

“A vibrant, accountable and responsible media sector requires an enabling environment where journalists receive legal protection, regulatory bodies work independently and free from influence, and media organisations uphold their own ethical standards,” she said.

Kamal Ahmed, consulting editor of The Daily Star and former head of the Media Reform Commission, said the present government had performed well over the last three months but still had a long way to go.

He said the government had a mandate to support a vibrant media, but raised concerns over ownership, questioning whether the media risked becoming a tool of “oligarchs”.

BBC Media Action Bangladesh Country Director Md Al Mamun said the PIMHIE project was not limited to policy discussions but also worked to bring practical changes to newsroom practices.

He said the project helped develop the country’s first code of ethics for broadcast journalists, a sexual harassment response protocol for safer newsrooms, election reporting guidelines, and different tools and training programmes for journalists.

The project learnings were presented by BBC Media Action Senior Media Development Officer Arafat Ali Siddique.

BBC Media Action Director of Programme Richard Lace also spoke at the event, moderated by Media Development Manager Rashedul Hasan.

Editors, journalists, media professionals, development partners, policymakers, civil society members, diplomats and representatives of UN agencies attended the programme.