Former Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon on Saturday said the distinction between yellow and responsible journalism is increasingly becoming blurred, posing a major challenge for the media industry.
“The gap between yellow and responsible journalism has become increasingly pronounced, while the line distinguishing the two is gradually disappearing,” he said.
Swapon made the remarks while inaugurating the annual District Correspondents’ Conference of United News of Bangladesh (UNB) 2026 at the Cosmos Centre in Malibagh.
Speaking about the changing media landscape, he said readership of print newspapers is declining as people are increasingly becoming device-oriented, while digital platforms have gained widespread dominance.
He said the key challenge for both traditional and digital media is to ensure that information remains objective as it moves from limited sources to a vast number of platforms.
Swapon urged responsible journalists to help curb yellow journalism and separate mainstream media from what he described as “parasitic media” and “digital junk”.
He also highlighted the need to distinguish investigative journalism from an intelligence-gathering mindset and urged the media to move from event-based reporting towards knowledge-based and comprehensive journalism.
He identified “objectivity versus instant sensation” as another major challenge in the digital era, warning that the rush to break news could undermine a media organization’s credibility.
“The credibility and credentials of a media organization are like glass. They can break or develop a crack in a single incident,” he said.
Swapon also called for stronger attention to journalists’ wages, job security and working conditions, stressing the importance of compliance with the Wage Board. He said media owners must ensure proper salary structures, job security, a safe working environment and gender equality.
He also called for clear editorial policies and an appropriate regulatory framework for the media industry.
Swapon said he hoped his successor, Barrister Andaleeve Rahman Partho, would maintain continuity in the sector. He also said he is likely to move as an adviser on media and related issues to the prime minister’s Office.
UNB Editor-in-Chief Enayetullah Khan welcomed the participants at the conference. Several senior journalists, media professionals and officials also spoke at the event.