THE World Press Freedom Day, established by the UN was observed in Bangladesh on May 03 (Saturday). It reminds the global community that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights. Ideally, only a free press can guarantee a full working democracy. Unfortunately, media in Bangladesh is not free and democracy is nearly dysfunctional. Both need to be put on track.
According to a survey by Freedom House, based in the US, Bangladesh stands at 115 among 197 countries, down by 3 steps than that of the 2013 media freedom index. It observed media are ‘partly curbed’ here. The report says, media are ‘not free’ in 66 countries, ‘partly free’ in 68 countries and ‘free’ in 63 countries. Netherlands, Norway and Sweden jointly topped the list while media in other European countries were relatively free than countries elsewhere in the world.
Free and independent media have a critical role in upholding high standards of governance and human rights. The country is currently under the grip of a pseudo-dynastic dictatorship under the cover of voter-less election exercise. Here, most things run in the way of the party in power and good governance is a far cry. Politicization of the press and the holistic political culture are reflected in the political use of press regulations. The press is partisan and tactically regulated by the government. The tools used to dominate the media are control over government advertisements; threats, torture and killing of journalists by ruling party cadres; and maintaining the state ownership of public media outlets only for using them as propaganda machines of the ruling party.
Journalists and news outlets criticising the government are targeted with arrests, censorship, and violence. As the media has become increasingly corporatized, the companies with roots in traditional business can’t weigh the value of professionalism in media. Hence, narrow profit motive of the owners is jeopardising press freedom. These neo-media Mughals usually try to protect their own interests and of the advertisers. They often compel the journalists to adopt self-censorship to make compromises with the corridors of power.
The media men must uphold professionalism in their job responsibility leaving behind their partisan attitudes. Professionalism both among journalists and owners can play a key role in promoting press freedom in a young democracy like Bangladesh. However, the ground realities are quite opposite. Here, the journalists, as a professional group, are rather divided on the middle on party lines and are highly politicized in their acts and attitudes. Most unfortunately, they feel comfortable in exercising a self-censorship of the sort giving prominence to personal gains and political lineage. This has eventually weakened their professional strength and standing in the public eye.
Electronic media have been more effective in playing journalistic role because of its reliance on pictures journalism. The print media is too weak in mobilising public opinion for good governance. The journalists must give up party politics and remain independent.
