六合开奖记录

Bangladesh ranks 163rd in the world in the Press Freedom Index and journalists face difficult working conditions, with poor pay and little job security. 六合开奖记录 Media Action has been working through Protecting Independent Media for Effective Development (PRIMED) to support local media associations in their efforts at change. In this second in a series of three articles, Bangladesh Global TV Editor in Chief Syed Ishtiaque Reza explores recent findings on working conditions for journalists in Bangladesh and discusses the pressures on local media.

"In our childhood, affluent people used to keep pet dogs. Later, people who gained wealth started to keep media.

These [media] are like Alsatian dogs."

This was a remark by a top politician at a public meeting in Bangladesh. This lawmaker is not alone. Many politicians and social stalwarts on many occasions make such disparaging remarks about journalists and the profession in general. And, in our  sharply divided political environment, Bangladesh’s journalist community is also divided by politics. There are two trade union bodies, each with its own political allegiances..    

Media are under political, economic and legal threats in Bangladesh. The economic impacts of the COVID—19 pandemic and of rising oil, food, fertiliser and other commodity prices due to the war in Ukraine is visible in every sector of the economy. This has sparked a cost-of-living crisis in Bangladesh, drained the central bank’s reserves at an alarming rate, and led the government into harsh austerity measures. 

This has disrupted the media industry too. A new survey found that journalists from across the country are bearing great personal financial impact from this situation.  

Economic calamity for media houses

Bangladesh media traditionally operates in a difficult environment. Even before this situation, media revenues were falling. The pandemic followed by the war’s impact on the national economy has just accelerated this deterioration, resulting in an economic calamity for media houses. The rise of social media and acceleration in mobile consumption have also forced changes in the way media companies usually make money, from advertising and selling their content.

According to data from the Information Ministry of Bangladesh, there are now 44 approved television channels, 22 FM radios, 32 community radios, 1,187 daily newspapers and more than 100 online news portals in Bangladesh.

A recent survey conducted by Broadcast Journalists’ Centre (BJC) among 23 television channels produced a very dismal picture of the broadcast industry. Only eight percent of television networks pay their employees regularly by the 10th of the month and only 50 percent of the channels pay festival bonuses. Only one television outlet has introduced gratuity benefits for employees, common in other industries as a reward for service. As many as 13 media houses have systems to terminate their employees without giving prior notice. Eighteen channels don’t cover medical expenses for on-duty injuries. There are no weekly and public holidays in 11 percent of the television channels. Almost all pay nothing for annual leave. The BJC survey also revealed that journalists do not talk about their legal rights, for fear of losing their jobs.

Ads drying up

With businesses closed, advertisements have dried up, adversely affecting the routine operation of the media industry. Media houses’ overall approach now is to tighten their belts. Newspapers have reduced pages; television channels have reduced their commissions. Their main focus is now low-cost talk shows on Internet platforms with live coverage for hours. Some newspapers and online portals have dismissed employees, while some have sent employees on forced leave.

Complicating media sustainability is that, over the past few decades, people with access to the corridors of power in business and politics have traditionally successfully influenced the dissemination of information through media houses, by owning a majority share in these outlets. They influenced content for their own interests. Media ownership significantly affects the perspectives presented in reporting, with bias and inefficiency then inevitable.

And now, the situation is allowing more opportunities for government voices and administrators to occupy spaces in media.

Failing to generate digital revenue 

A few media houses have succeeded in drawing revenue from the digital space. But many have failed. Bangladesh’s media industry needs financial remodelling with more institutional approaches from the owners. Televisions and newspapers will not reach people without content that meet audiences’ demands.

We believe that political or business capture of the media cannot continue for long. People’s engagement with media is high; they seek quality information from reputable providers. Younger people have grown up with Internet culture; their desire to consume and pay is an indication of improving value. Connecting to this segment of the population will convince advertisers to invest more in reliable content. I have seen that the younger generation will pay for news - but they want more independent and public interest content.

Love what they produce

It is said that the media love a crisis. But now the media need to love what they produce: they must remain true to their mandate of public interest content. Without good journalism, the media here will simply die out; the current situation is a red signal to conventional media approaches. Digital professionals, digital audiences and digital platforms have come together to prioritise professionalism, and journalism for the people. And media houses must consider this in their business development strategies, in order to survive and think about their own value.

Today the media landscape is in real crisis – we have media against media, political challenges and even civil society challenges. All of these relationships are in urgent need of repair, redress and balance. We know that freedom without responsibility is as bad as governing without accountability. This extraordinary episode in time must serve as a reminder of this truth to us all.

Syed Ishtiaque Reza is the Editor in Chief of Global Television. He can be reached on ishtiaquereza@gmail.com

Read the first blog in the series here - and the third here.

Read more about PRIMED here.