Recently, I met the editor of The Independent, and his revelations were very thought-provoking, especially after this 38-year-old British journalist took over from Amol after the demise of the print edition.
Chritian Broughton gave a lecture in a joint event of the Diplomatic Press Attaches Association, London (DPAAL) and the London Press Club.
He hailed the success of the digital move of his newspaper, which is bringing in more readers and more money, which could be an example for Bangladesh.
When I told him about the Digital Bangladesh project of Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Broughton said: “It is amazing.”
He said Bangladeshi newspapers could go for cheap apps to draw all kinds of readers of different ages. “This would bring in needed revenues, as the cake is getting smaller due to Internet news portals offering free news,” Broughton added.
He said one has to investigate “transactional” sources of revenue and “people should understand that good journalism does not come free, and if that means seeing an advert or two, it’s a price worth paying.”
People should understand that good journalism does not come free, and if that means seeing an advert or two, it’s a price worth paying
As of now, the online The Independent has 70 million registered browsers across the globe. So, all the online news portals in Bangladesh need to rethink their advertisement and editorial policies.
First, you need money to run any enterprise. I am glad that the Dhaka Tribune converted to a compact version from the broadsheet version, which is saving money as far paper and ink are concerned, but it also has a free online version like most other dailies. The management has to think of every penny earned and spent, as it is a good paymaster, unlike many who do not give salaries in due time.
For Bangla Tribune and others, they must keep some stories readable only upon payment. These stories have to be exclusive and a must-read. Broughton said that once people started to pay for news, it became a habit.
Also, once people realised that a particular section is a must-read, their inquisitive minds will push them to buy it at a small price. It could start at no more than Tk20.
Making it expensive would drive the readers away.
Next is spending more money for exclusive and investigative stories. This, according to experts, would usher in quality journalism and also help earn more money. Because, at the end of the day, cash is a huge issue in all business.
When I was discussing Digital Bangladesh with other members of the club, they were keen to know if there were any rules of operation for these news portals in Bangladesh, like Britain.
With some pride, I said: “It is a free press ... anyone can say and write anything.” It is a surprise that the Bangladesh press operates without any watch dog, which leads to yellow journalism. In some cases, total lies.
We must formulate an operational code for better journalism.
Bangladesh’s booming IT sector also came into discussion, and many promised to use the internet to gather more knowledge regarding Digital Bangladesh, which really helped the ruling Awami League get more votes in the last national elections.
Nadeem Qadir is the Press Minister of Bangladesh High Commission in London.
