A comprehensive “code of conduct” could be of better use for the media than a regressive broadcast policy, said noted journalists.
Addressing a discussion in the capital yesterday, they did not completely deny the necessity of an appropriate broadcast policy but said any new regulation should be carefully prepared so that it does not hinder the progress of the industry which came so far without a policy.
Editors’ Council organised the discussion titled “Challenges before the media” at Cirdap auditorium. The Daily Samakal editor Golam Sarwar chaired the programme which was attended by hundreds of journalists.
Sarwar said the media should enjoy freedom but it has responsibility at the same time.
“We have some flaws and we have to correct it. Let us all come forward to form a code of conduct for all forms of media,” he said.
“Without formulating such a policy, the information minister could have said the private television channels should be run like BTV,” he added.
With the term “code of conduct”, the speakers referred to a comprehensive set of standards and ideal practices. They said the authorities of the media outlets in the country would formulate the code following discussions among themselves, and take utmost care to ensure that it is followed by every organisation of the industry.
In his keynote speech, the Daily Star editor Mahfuz Anam said: “If the existing rules and guidelines helped create the TV and radio revolutions then why go for a new policy, especially when it could thwart the growth? A new policy can only be justified if it can ensure more growth for the broadcast media.”
“If such a policy is adopted, our broadcast media runs the risk of becoming dull and boring. It will also lose its freedom and the chance to deliver creative and entertaining programmes. The policy will not only cause viewers to switch but the advertisers will also switch. Such a shift will virtually cause an alarming drop in the number of audience and advertising,” he added.
Professor Sirajul Islam Chowdhury said the broadcast policy is unexpected in the sense that there is no emergency or martial law currently in effect in the country.
“Why make such a dangerous attempt to muzzle the media?” he said.
“The media already faces intervention from the owners and the advertisers. It is also controlled by government policies and self-censorship. We all have to protest against the broadcast policy,” said the educationist.
President of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul briefly discussed why the broadcast policy is needed and how it was formulated.
Bulbul, also a member of the committee that formulated the policy, expressed his concern over the policy, saying: “Where will be the scope for showing diversity if all the media outlets become the same in terms of how and which programmes they air?”
“We have examples of good journalism as well as bad journalism. So we want a policy which will uphold professional and bright journalism,” he said.
Association of Television Channel Owners (ATCO) General Secretary Shykh Seraj said recommendations were made when the policy was formulated but many of those were ignored.
“The question of formulating a policy would not have arisen if competent individuals got television licences. We wanted a broadcast policy which would help flourish the media but this policy is like someone hands and legs were tied before he was asked to swim,” he said.
Senior lawyer Amirul Islam blamed the people who formulated the policy, alleging those who did it actually embarrassed the government, which even the media people could not have done.
He also asked the media people to formulate a policy on their own and also form a commission.
Senior journalist Sawkat Mahmud said: “We do not want this policy. We will formulate a policy and a commission by ourselves.”
Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh, said the policy would put a negative impact not only on the media people but also on the general people.
“This also contradicts many existing laws and provisions of the constitution,” he said.
Mozammel Babu, chief editor of Ekattor TV, said he is against all sorts of broadcast policy and licencing policy.
“Attempt to control the media is unnecessary,” he said.
