Accurate information is essential for building a new Bangladesh. Public awareness must be raised against misinformation, according to Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest, Climate Change, and Water Resources.
She spoke at a seminar held on Sunday afternoon at the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB). The seminar was titled "Media in the age of misinformation and disinformation: Challenges, responsibilities, and the path forward for development."
The environment adviser emphasized that the media's primary responsibility is to present accurate information. However, in many cases, misleading information is being disseminated, creating confusion in society.
She added that some news are published solely to gain views, often overshadowing the actual truth.
She further said: "It is crucial to understand who controls media ownership. Over the past 20-25 years, the structure of the media has changed significantly. To ensure the dissemination of truthful news, these aspects must be considered."
Before that Media Reform Commission Chief Kamal Ahmed said: "Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus has asked for a list of recommendations of the Media Reform Commission that can be implemented immediately."
He added: "Accordingly, a list of some recommendations that can be implemented immediately will be delivered to him by tomorrow(Monday). The chief adviser has promised to implement them. In the context of Bangladesh, disinformation or propaganda is not a new issue. We have been working on these for quite some time."
He further added: "However, the institutional efforts to tackle them in the country are very limited. Personally, I have long ago started talking about starting fact-checking desks in the media. But there is a kind of apprehension in media houses about this issue. Many people think that checking facts will displease those in power of the government."
Mohammad Azaz, deputy commissioner of Dhaka North City Corporation, said: "We are working on five neighborhoods. If we can improve the communities and increase engagement, we can prevent the problem of misinformation. At the same time, we need to monitor whether we can build trusted people and trusted organizations."
The event was presided over by Faruk Wasif, director general of PIB. Other speakers at the seminar included Professor Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir from the Department of Development Studies at Dhaka University, Ashish Damle, country director of Oxfam in Bangladesh.
Journalists and media professionals attending the seminar exchanged views on media ethics and challenges in news dissemination. They stressed the importance of ensuring the spread of accurate information.
