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Freedom of Press Seminar on Freedom of Press, Information Right and Peoples Empowerment Free,
Democratic, Ethical and Responsible Journalism Impossible
without Proper Financial Support to Journalist Without
proper financial support to media people, free, democratic,
ethical and responsible journalism is quite impossible in
Bangladesh. Presently media houses are not supporting
journalists and thus pushing the potential and committed
journalists to corruption. It is time for the media
institutions to be careful of the torture and oppression
upon the journalists and their own involvement into
corruption.
Earlier
at 11.00 am, a rally with the same slogan started from
Rabindra Kalabhaban of the university. Over two hundred
teachers including Chairman of Mass Communication &
Journalism Department Prof Md Khademul Islam, Prof Dulal
Chandra Biswas, Prof Akter Jahan, Prof Satil Siraj, Prof
Mustak Ahmed, students, journalists, members of YJFI and CCD
took part in the rally.
Coordinator
of Youth Leadership Program of CCD Arafat Ali Siddik
presented welcome address in the seminar. University
reporter of the daily Sonali Sangbad Abu Sayem Sabu focused
aims and objectives of YJFI in the seminar. Among others, RU
Correspondent of the Daily Star Abu Kalam Ratan, students of
Mass Communication Department Tabiur Rahman, Nahid Tamanna,
Amjad Hossain, Kamruzzaman addressed the discussion session.
RU Correspondent of the daily Samakal Meherul Hasan
conducted the session. RU Correspondent of the daily
Jugantor Zohair Ibne Kolim moderated the session. This is
the first and largest program on World Press Freedom Day in
the history of RU.
Prof Shah Azam Shantonu said, many journalists are not financially well and so they can not go into the deep of the news story spending huge money. He urged the media houses to give close attention to the financial support for journalists. Terming the news not only a matter of information exchange, rather as the most popular and entertaining item in the present media, he said, we have to ensure free flow of information and no only journalists, but also the state ought to be careful to ensure free press and free journalism. Therefore, he demanded warding off the Official Secrecy Act and enacting consumers’ rights ordinance of the United Nations in the country. Prof
Satil Siraj said, mass media is an inevitable part of our
society, so we have to build up free press for the sake of
our social uplift. It is not enough to build up free press;
we have also to consider whether it brings any welfare for
the people. There is no alternative of free press for
social, political, cultural and economic development.
Therefore, he raised different issues regarding
responsibility of media and media peole to save the press
from the aggression of the state, corporate, media giant and
oppressors. Mr Siraj also urged the Government to enact the
Right to Information Ordinance soon. In
the seminar, President of YJFI Zohair Ibne Kolim presented
an article based upon a survey on different approaches of
oppression, threat and pressure on journalists and tackling
of these obstacles in the situation of press in Rajshahi
University. Highlighting some terrible situations and case
studies of ournalism, he presented some key findings in the
seminar. He said, political pressure and involvement,
financial crisis, pressure of media house and social
sufferings, terrorism, dangerous situation of financial
policy of media houses, media competition, lack of ethics,
non-cooperation of the media houses and media people are
causing serious threat to journalists. In order to save the
media people and media houses from these difficulties and
challenges, he called upon the concerned authority to ensure
freedom of press right now.
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Speakers
said it in the seminar on ‘Freedom of Press, Information
Right and Peoples Empowerment’ held in observance of the
World Press Freedom Day 2008 at Rajshahi University on 03
May. Knowledge centre CCD Bangladesh and Young Journalists
Forum for Investigative Reporting (YJFI) jointly organized
the seminar at the Deans Complex Auditorium in the campus.
Assistant Professor of Mass Communication & Journalism
Department of Rajshahi University (RU), Facilitator of YJFI
and Advisor of CCD Dulal Chandra Biswas presided over the
seminar. Prof Shah Azam Shantonu and Prof Shatil Siraj
attended the seminar as discussants. President of YJFI
Zohair Ibne Kalim presented article titled “Journalism and
its situation in Rajshahi University” in the seminar. 
Prof
Dulal Chandra Biswas said, the rate of labour-deprivation of
journalists which they receive from their media houses is
terrible and serious. Due to this oppression, journalists
are compelled to compromise with the merit and ethics of
journalism. Besides that objective journalism will be hard
to survive, if threat and pressure of different institutions
are not protected. He also said, wherever military rule
invaded, a black hand of interference into press occurred
simultaneously. For the true press freedom from this
oppression, people’s movement and awareness are urgently
needed. Mr Biswas said, present media houses treat
journalists as their employee. As a result, instead of
becoming a social institute, media houses turn into
corporate house. He said, not borrowing knowledge from
outside, rather we have to produce and practice our own
knowledge through our own culture, tradition and history;
otherwise no welfare is possible in our society through
journalists. According to him, media houses have searched
for the corruption and oppression of other communities last
three hundred years, now it is time to investigate their own
involvement in these offences. It is immensely needed for
the sake of welfare of media, society and country.