Professionalism, ethical reporting and holding the powerful accountable emerged as the key messages at a day-long journalists’ workshop in Gazipur yesterday, where senior media leaders called for fact-based journalism free from compromise.
The workshop on “Basic Journalism and Ethics” was jointly organised by the Gazipur district administration and World Vision Bangladesh at the Bhawal Convention Hall of the deputy commissioner’s office. Around 80 journalists from print, television and online media participated.
Chief Information Officer Abdal Ahmed; Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief Md Kamal Uddin Sabuj; National Press Club President Hasan Hafiz; Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury; National Press Club General Secretary Ayub Bhuiyan; and Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) President Md Shahidul Islam attended the programme as speakers and interacted with participants on a range of professional issues.
‘Hold the powerful accountable’
BFUJ Secretary General Kader Gani Chowdhury said the primary responsibility of journalists is to question the state and those in power and bring them under public accountability.
He criticised what he described as the culture of “broker journalism” and “sycophancy”, saying such practices had helped turn the Sheikh Hasina government from authoritarianism into “extreme authoritarianism”.
Warning against compromising professional values, he said the defeat of journalism would ultimately mean the defeat of the people and the state, urging journalists not to allow any anti-democratic force to weaken the profession.
Focus on ethics and fact-checking
The workshop featured detailed discussions on the fundamentals of journalism, fact-checking and ethical reporting.
Senior journalists said truthful, courageous and ethical journalism is essential to maintaining public trust and guiding society in the right direction.
Representing World Vision Bangladesh, Debashish Ranjan Sarkar delivered a presentation on child protection and highlighted the media’s role in preventing child labour and child marriage, protecting children’s rights and raising public awareness.
National Press Club honours Gazipur DC
A highlight of the programme was the National Press Club conferring Associate Membership on Gazipur Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Md Nurul Karim Bhuiyan.
National Press Club President Hasan Hafiz formally announced the recognition and, together with other guests, presented the membership certificate.
Accepting the honour, Nurul Karim Bhuiyan said the recognition from the journalist community would inspire him to work with greater dedication for public welfare. He also stressed the importance of objective journalism in protecting children’s rights and promoting social awareness.
The introductory session of the programme was chaired by the deputy commissioner, while Hasan Hafiz presided over the main discussion. National Press Club General Secretary Ayub Bhuiyan and Gazipur Additional Deputy Commissioner (HR and Development) Tania Tabassum conducted the sessions.
Recognising positive social initiatives
The programme also featured three short documentaries produced under the deputy commissioner’s social initiative, “Bhalo Kajer Bhalo Manush” (Good People for Good Deeds), showcasing three humanitarian initiatives in Gazipur.
The documentaries highlighted the importance of recognising selfless social work and encouraging positive change through community initiatives.
The organisers said similar workshops would continue in the future to strengthen responsible, humane and ethical journalism while enhancing the media’s role in protecting children’s rights and promoting social awareness.
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