Media stakeholders have called for stronger self-regulation mechanisms to strengthen public trust in the media by ensuring editorial independence and accountability of owners, protecting journalists’ safety, and upholding professional standards.
They also agreed that enforcing editorial policies, ensuring transparency and accountability in management, and providing accessible grievance mechanisms can strengthen accountability in the news media.
They said these measures would help restore public trust by upholding ethical standards while balancing editorial independence with accountability.
The observations came at a divisional consultation held in Khulna by the Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) to discuss improving journalism’s professional and ethical standards and developing an effective framework for media self-regulation in Bangladesh.
MRDI launched the consultation series with the Khulna session under the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, funded by the Canadian High Commission in Bangladesh.
News media owners and publishers, editors, news managers and gatekeepers, leaders of journalist unions and associations, university teachers and civil society representatives took part in the discussion.
MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman called for continued advocacy on media self-regulation under the organization’s 2025–2030 strategic action plan, saying effective self-regulation would limit external interference.
He said press freedom depends on public trust, urging news outlets to establish accountability mechanisms and develop separate codes of conduct for journalists, editors and owners.
Speaking at the event, former Media Reform Commission chief and The Daily Star consulting editor Kamal Ahmed urged the government to quickly outline its plan for an independent Media Commission, saying it should promote self-regulation and allow the media to correct its own mistakes.
He criticised plans to increase penalties under the Cyber Security Act without clearly defining offences, warning that tougher laws alone would not resolve the media’s current challenges and could encourage self-censorship instead of self-regulation.
Participants agreed that sustainable self-regulation requires strong and independent editorial policies capable of resisting pressure from the government, media owners, advertisers and political actors.
Shamima Sultana Shilu, executive director of Manob Seba O Samajik Unnayan Sangstha, said journalists must perform their duties in a way that leaves no room for external interference while abiding by the law.
She stressed the importance of proper training before entering the journalism profession, saying it is essential for maintaining professional and ethical standards in journalism and ensuring responsible reporting.
On journalists’ working conditions, participants agreed that ethical journalism cannot be separated from financial security. They called on media owners to ensure timely payment of salaries, formal appointment letters, lawful benefits and a safe working environment.
Hedait Hossain Molla, joint secretary general of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists, said a lack of transparency and integrity in media outlets’ financial practices undermines professionals’ rights and accountability.
He called for clear policies to protect the rights of news media professionals, noting that there is no specific legal framework governing appointment letters and that media organizations follow varying practices. He urged the development of a universal, legally compliant framework for appointment letters.
Sara Monami Hossain, head of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at Khulna University, said mainstream media, particularly national news organisations, have systems for information verification and fact-checking.
She said reliable and relevant information is more important in journalism than the volume of information, adding that journalists must assess whether information or an event is genuinely newsworthy before publishing or reporting it.
