Let’s not kill the spirit of journalism

"Safety first. Because let's face it. If you get injured while covering a protest, your colleagues will come to see you in the hospital, send good wishes to your family, talk about the incident for some days… but that's all." A representative of a top Bangladeshi 24/7 news channel said this while speaking as a guest for the students of a course on news presentation that I took recently.

Just to put this into perspective, one may recall that 23 journalists have been killed in Bangladesh between 1992 and 2021, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent nonprofit organisation promoting press freedom worldwide. Among them, three died while on what the committee described as "dangerous assignments." The number of journalists injured, harassed or intimidated in various other ways over this period would be more, much more.

In February, Borhan Uddin Muzakkir, a reporter for the news website Barta Bazar and newspaper Bangladesh Samachar, became the latest casualty when he was shot in the throat while covering clashes between Awami League factions in Noakhali's Companiganj. He succumbed to his injuries the next day.

Elias Mia, a correspondent of Daily Bijoy, was murdered in October last year in Narayanganj for "exposing a criminal nexus" in gas line distribution. The 52-year-old was stabbed with a sharp weapon in the Geodhara area while on his way back home.

Journalists—whether a stringer or full-timer—are targeted or become collateral victims in an atmosphere of intense political tension in Bangladesh. Five of the victims listed by CPJ—Ahmed Rajib Halder, Ananta Bijoy Das, Avijit Roy, Niloy Neel, and Washiqur Rahman Babu—were freelancers who were hunted down by religious extremists because of their views.

Bangladesh has slipped one notch in this year's World Press Freedom Index. It ranked 152nd out of 180 countries, according to the report released in April by Reporters Without Borders.

Curiously enough, despite this dire situation, we now have 37 television channels, 1,277 daily newspapers, and more are on the way, indicating a fast expansion of the industry. The media landscape of the country is also equally dominated by social media and citizen journalists.

In 1993, only three universities offered undergraduate and graduate journalism, mass communication and media studies degrees in Bangladesh. This increased to 21 by the end of 2016, according to a paper titled "Journalism education in Bangladesh" published by the Deutsche Welle Akademie.

Apart from the universities, the government-run Press Institute of Bangladesh has been giving in-profession training for working journalists since its establishment in 1976. The other significant providers of journalism education in Bangladesh are NGOs, which occasionally offer trainings for in-profession journalists on issues like gender, environment and business.

Seeing such prospects, many juvenile minds are perhaps harbouring the dream of becoming a journalist. But the burning question is, how many of them are actually willing to pursue a career in journalism and then stick to it? How many of them are willing to take the risks that come with the thrill of travelling, being creative, and serving the core purpose of being the voice of the people and contributing to the betterment of society?

Alongside security concerns, low salary and lack of job security, family pressure is often a much bigger inhibiting factor for journalists. As a result, many who start with enthusiasm eventually move on to other fields. In fact, the doubt is sown much earlier when in their undergrads, students are advised by their families and well-wishers to keep courses like business, English, public relations, etc. as  back-ups in case things get problematic or not turn out to be as well as expected.

It seems there is a long road ahead to ensure the protection, safety, and welfare of journalists in Bangladesh. A staggering 1,600 journalists lost their jobs in 2020 due to the closure and loss of income of media outlets during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Article 19 Bangladesh and South Asia's annual report on Violation of Freedom of Expression in Bangladesh.

It is expected that any government in any part of the world will be wary of the activities of media houses and journalists, as the very nature of the fourth estate is to keep the authorities in check. It will always be the watchdog over any form of power, be it political or otherwise.

But in Bangladesh, the picture is grimmer. It is not uncommon for professionals to stray from ideal journalistic practices to serve the interests of the business entities owning their newspapers or media outlets. We also see media outlets engaging in sensationalised reporting to engage readers/viewers, often running the risk of promoting content that is sexist/racist and thus raising concerns over the quality of journalism. On top of that, the draconian Digital Security Act hangs like a sword above them, deepening the overall culture of fear prevailing in the country.

The defamation clauses in the Act (sections 21, 25, 28, 29 and 31) have been crafted in such a manner that any critical social media post or news report can be interpreted to be a violation. There have been reports of arrests being made indiscriminately and the so-called offenders being kept behind bars for indefinite periods. Citing data from Bangladesh's Cyber Crime Tribunal, Amnesty International recently stated that 10 newspaper editors faced legal charges under the DSA for critical reporting on leaders of the ruling Awami League in 2020.

So, with the growing number of instances of journalists and their families being threatened, assaulted, abducted, or worse, it is likely that many creative minds with noble intentions might just drop their aspirations of serving the world through journalism and move to other, safer professions.

In these turbulent times, we need good, inspiring examples to turn the tide around in Bangladesh. For example, the judiciary can and should set strong examples by sentencing those responsible for crimes against journalists through speedy trials. Other responsible state institutions should also come forward to protect the public good that journalism is through greater cooperation with the media, and by removing the roadblocks that exist in the way of accessing vital information for the sake of the interests of the nation. Also, aside from book lessons and assignments, schools offering journalism courses should provide practical tips and advice to their students wishing to pursue a career in journalism. This will inspire and enable them to pursue their careers with more confidence.

Unregulated distribution of licenses to TV channels and newspapers may lead to mushrooming of media outlets, but not the safety of journalists, or freedom of expression. It is high time the authorities paid more attention to improving the quality of journalism and ensuring greater press freedom in Bangladesh, rather than focusing on the quantity of media outlets. Society as a whole should be more supportive of the press, especially the serious press, for the sake of this industry as well as its own.

Promiti Prova Chowdhury is a journalist.

Email: promiti.chowdhury@gmail.com