A Correspondent :
Chattogram City Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin said, media plays a very important role as a watchdog over the institutions of power, politics social and economic activities while performing its duty of informing the people.
He said the government and various other agencies under it are also playing effective roles. It bridges the gap between the government and the people. They are, however, not above accountability. but the primary loyalty lies with the people they serve, he pointed out.
The media has been subject of criticism from various angels. it also been accused of “misinforming” the public and overplaying its role.
But by and large, its importance in shaping the course of events and keeping the government in check, particularly when democratic institutions have been rendered impotent and condemned to the state of obsolescence by an authoritarian regime, has been acknowledged by most critics and scholars.
It is for good reason that the press (there was only the print media then) was daubed with the appellation of the “fourth estate”, although there are differences of opinion as to whether it was Edmund Burke who first referred to the press as the fourth estate. But Burke made the reference in more of an apprehensive rather than a deferential tone as he is reported to have said, from the floors of the Palace of Westminster, according to Carlyle, looking at the press gallery, “there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.” The occasion is worth noting too. It was the day that reporting of the proceedings of the House of Commons was allowed for the first time. In other words, he ascribed the same degree (if not more) of importance to the newsmen as had been accorded to the other three “Estates of the Realm,” i.e. the Sovereign, the Lords and the Commoners.
Chattogram City Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin said, media plays a very important role as a watchdog over the institutions of power, politics social and economic activities while performing its duty of informing the people.
He said the government and various other agencies under it are also playing effective roles. It bridges the gap between the government and the people. They are, however, not above accountability. but the primary loyalty lies with the people they serve, he pointed out.
The media has been subject of criticism from various angels. it also been accused of “misinforming” the public and overplaying its role.
But by and large, its importance in shaping the course of events and keeping the government in check, particularly when democratic institutions have been rendered impotent and condemned to the state of obsolescence by an authoritarian regime, has been acknowledged by most critics and scholars.
It is for good reason that the press (there was only the print media then) was daubed with the appellation of the “fourth estate”, although there are differences of opinion as to whether it was Edmund Burke who first referred to the press as the fourth estate. But Burke made the reference in more of an apprehensive rather than a deferential tone as he is reported to have said, from the floors of the Palace of Westminster, according to Carlyle, looking at the press gallery, “there were Three Estates in Parliament; but, in the Reporters’ Gallery yonder, there sat a Fourth Estate more important far than they all.” The occasion is worth noting too. It was the day that reporting of the proceedings of the House of Commons was allowed for the first time. In other words, he ascribed the same degree (if not more) of importance to the newsmen as had been accorded to the other three “Estates of the Realm,” i.e. the Sovereign, the Lords and the Commoners.
