Secretary General of the Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) Quader Gani Chowdhury on Thursday said that courageous and investigative journalism are on the verge of extinction due to lack of state support.
“A journalist must always speak out against injustice, irregularities, oppression, exploitation, and the deprivation of rights. They must work fearlessly and relentlessly, ignoring flattery. Journalists must be courageous. However, without state support, courageous and investigative journalism is at risk of disappearing."
The journalist leader came up with the remarks at a discussion meeting and iftar mahfil organised by the Journalists Union Gazipur at the Zilla Parishad auditorium on Thursday evening.
He mentioned that harassment and the killing of journalists have become common occurrences.
Journalists face constant repression and oppression aimed at silencing their voices and disrupting their work.
They endure police harassment, threats from political leaders, oppression by corrupt bureaucrats, and attacks by influential businessmen.
Despite all this, journalists continue to press forward. On top of these challenges, there are oppressive laws.
“When journalists resort to self-censorship to avoid various forms of harassment, the media loses its independence,” he added.
“In most cases, journalists censor themselves under pressure from powerful circles. Often, they avoid covering issues related to individuals with connections to high-level officials for fear of losing their jobs. In this way, honest journalism is gradually dying.”
Journalism's goal is to uphold human rights, address social issues: Quader Gani
He also said that if any journalist expects anything in return for journalism, s/he cannot practice true journalism.
When those involved in journalism begin to expect rewards or fall into various calculations, they can no longer deliver independent journalism.
This trend grew during the previous government, where journalists' consciences were bought with offers of plots, flat money, and other benefits.
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The journalists' leader said that a real journalist should present accurate and impartial news, free from any party affiliation, personal interests, or biases. This is the true role of a journalist.