bdnews24.com, Chittagong :
The world’s first-ever video news service by children has been launched as bdnews24.com and UNICEF take another step to strengthen young voices in Bangladesh.
‘Prism’ was launched on Sunday with the objective to help children to deliver news that concerns the children to policymakers.
Guests and child participants arrived from different parts of the country to join the ceremony at Dhaka’s Bay’s Galleria at 3:30pm.
Over 100 young journalists will be groomed in Prism’s first phase of the initiative that will allow them to cultivate their own views of their rights and the world around them.
Toufique Imrose Khalidi, Editor-in-Chief of bdnews24.com, in his opening speech, urged the young journalists to be ‘accurate and objective’, which he said were the core ethics of bdnews24.com.
He mentioned several circumstances which made journalism difficult in Bangladesh.
“It’s never been easy to be a journalist in this country… one key problem is polarisation in every segment of our society along political lines, then there is the weakened rule of law, weak democracy, weak institutions, a not-a-very-strong judiciary.
“With increased radicalisation and lack of respect for dissent, risks are far greater for us journalists these days.”
“But these are challenges we are ready to face… We are proud of you,” he told the child journalists while addressing them as ‘young colleagues’.
Meher Afroze Chumki, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs, in her speech, said, “Prism will facilitate children at the right age.”
“These children have a lot of potential to take Bangladesh forward,” she added.
Dr Lianne Kuppens, UNICEF Deputy Representative, mentioned bdnews24.com’s ‘Children’s Online News Service’ titled ‘Hello’, which successfully brought children’s voice into mainstream media.
Launched in 2013, the co-creation of bdnews24.com and UNICEF made notable contributions in focusing on issues affecting millions of children in Bangladesh, she said.
Dr Kuppens said although Hello was a success, it could only cover the print segment of the media, whereas there was a significant lack of children’s presence on the broadcast media.
bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Khalidi also said the young journalists are ‘pioneers on a global scale’ as ‘no-one of their age has done this before in an organised manner’.
The world’s first-ever video news service by children has been launched as bdnews24.com and UNICEF take another step to strengthen young voices in Bangladesh.
‘Prism’ was launched on Sunday with the objective to help children to deliver news that concerns the children to policymakers.
Guests and child participants arrived from different parts of the country to join the ceremony at Dhaka’s Bay’s Galleria at 3:30pm.
Over 100 young journalists will be groomed in Prism’s first phase of the initiative that will allow them to cultivate their own views of their rights and the world around them.
Toufique Imrose Khalidi, Editor-in-Chief of bdnews24.com, in his opening speech, urged the young journalists to be ‘accurate and objective’, which he said were the core ethics of bdnews24.com.
He mentioned several circumstances which made journalism difficult in Bangladesh.
“It’s never been easy to be a journalist in this country… one key problem is polarisation in every segment of our society along political lines, then there is the weakened rule of law, weak democracy, weak institutions, a not-a-very-strong judiciary.
“With increased radicalisation and lack of respect for dissent, risks are far greater for us journalists these days.”
“But these are challenges we are ready to face… We are proud of you,” he told the child journalists while addressing them as ‘young colleagues’.
Meher Afroze Chumki, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs, in her speech, said, “Prism will facilitate children at the right age.”
“These children have a lot of potential to take Bangladesh forward,” she added.
Dr Lianne Kuppens, UNICEF Deputy Representative, mentioned bdnews24.com’s ‘Children’s Online News Service’ titled ‘Hello’, which successfully brought children’s voice into mainstream media.
Launched in 2013, the co-creation of bdnews24.com and UNICEF made notable contributions in focusing on issues affecting millions of children in Bangladesh, she said.
Dr Kuppens said although Hello was a success, it could only cover the print segment of the media, whereas there was a significant lack of children’s presence on the broadcast media.
bdnews24.com Editor-in-Chief Khalidi also said the young journalists are ‘pioneers on a global scale’ as ‘no-one of their age has done this before in an organised manner’.
