Journalists at all levels have called for extensive reforms in various aspects of media ownership and management to ensure journalism is free from the influence of powerful classes.
They expressed these views at an opinion-sharing meeting organised under the banner of the "Media Reform Initiative" at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Saturday afternoon.
The meeting was conducted by journalists Ariful Sajjad and Ahmed Faiz. During the meeting, journalists agreed on the need to establish a non-partisan platform for free, independent, and robust media.
At the meeting, journalists thought that prioritising corporate owners' interests and sycophantic journalism have harmed the rights of professional media workers while positioning the media against the public.
To address this crisis, they demanded a transformation of the media's collective character to make it more people-oriented.
Author and researcher Altaf Parvez said that the media cannot escape responsibility for recent state-led atrocities. Therefore, there is a need for intense self-criticism.
He mentioned that the journalism sector needs three types of reformation: first, against corporate industry; second, against party-based journalist unions and press clubs; and third, against personal greed and bias.
Senior journalist Khairuzzaman Kamal described his experience, saying that the biggest crisis in journalism is corporate ownership.
Without changing this system, achieving economic freedom for media workers and creating a people-friendly media will be difficult. He emphasized the need to form a strong organization of professional journalists outside political affiliations.
Another senior journalist, Selim Samad, said that strong measures need to be taken against the arbitrary termination of journalists' jobs. Senior journalist Bahram Khan mentioned that the media, as the fourth pillar of the state, must do whatever is necessary.
Unprofessional, sycophantic journalism must be discarded, and extensive reforms in the media are needed.
TRT World's Bangladesh representative Kamruzzaman Bablu said that many senior journalists have sold out to power and personal interests, making any expectation of change from them unrealistic. There is a need for substantial changes in the corrupt system to make journalism an attractive profession for future generations.
Additional statements were made by Shahnaz Sharmin of Ekattor Television, Moinul Haque of New Age, Mahbub Saikat of My TV, Junayed Shishir of Kalbela, journalist Mizanur Rahman Kabir, Hossain Shahadat of News 24, and Ashraful Islam Rana of The Business Post.
At the event, journalists presented a 13-point demand for extensive reforms in the media. The demands are —
1. Ensure justice for journalists killed during student and public movements.
2. Provide compensation for injured and deceased media workers and affected media outlets during student and public movements. All closed media outlets should be reopened immediately.
3. Investigate and bring to justice media owners and executives who have turned the media into a political tool.
4. Establish a unified wage board for media workers. Implement the 9th Wage Board immediately. Investigate and take action against those who claimed state benefits by implementing the 8th Wage Board but did not implement it.
5. Distribute dividends according to labour laws.
6. Immediately halt any undemocratic tendencies in media ownership.
7. End all forms of intimidation of media workers. Permanently stop government and special agency directives and control in news management, reporting, and journalist organisation elections.
8. Form a high-level commission to reform media management and related issues.
9. Abolish all clauses of repressive laws against media and freedom of expression.
10. Withdraw all cases filed against media workers under ICT, Digital Security, and Cyber Security laws.
11. Ensure justice for the murder of journalist couple Sagar-Runi and all other killings and assaults.
12. Prosecute those involved in the abduction, torture, and harassment of journalists.
13. Ensure that all media can act as a voice for the people.
