A new journalism competition will be held in Bangladesh's capital Dhaka to encourage more and better-quality investigative reporting to bolster Bangladesh-China ties in trade, commerce and investment. An agreement on the Bangladesh China Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCCI) - the Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF) Journalism Award was signed here Saturday. Both sides have decided to jointly hold the journalism award event. The "BCCCI-ERF Journalism Award" will cover five areas, including the trade and investment ties between Bangladesh and China, how the high-quality development of China has helped Bangladesh, science and technology, the Belt and Road Initiative and others. Noting the professional significance of such an event, Al Mamun Mridha, secretary general of BCCCI, hoped that it would further encourage the economic journalists to analyze the topics of bilateral relations between Bangladesh and China.

China was the biggest global jailer of journalists last year with more than 100 behind bars, according to a press freedom group, as President Xi Jinping’s government tightened control over society. Xi's government also was one of the biggest exporters of propaganda content, according to Reporters without Boarders. China ranked second to last on the group’s annual index of press freedom, behind only neighbor North Korea. The ruling Communist Party has tightened already strict controls on media in China, where all newspapers and broadcasters are state-owned. Websites and social media are required to enforce censorship that bans material that might spread opposition to one-party rule. Also Read: Chinese who reported on COVID to be released after 3 years Xi, China’s most powerful figure in decades, called during a 2016 meeting with journalists who had been awarded official prizes for them to adhere to “the correct orientation of public opinion." Xi is pursuing a “crusade against journalism,” Reporters Without Borders said in a report Wednesday. It called China's decline in press freedom “disastrous.” Beijing operates what is regarded as the world's most extensive system of internet controls. Its filters try to block the Chinese public from seeing websites abroad operated by news outlets, governments and human rights and other activist groups. Chinese journalists have been prosecuted on charges of spying, leaking national secrets and picking quarrels, a vague accusation used to jail dissidents. Others are subjected to surveillance, intimidation and harassment. Also Read: China's foreign minister makes rare visit to Myanmar border Journalist Dong Yuyu, who worked at a ruling party-affiliated newspaper and is a former Harvard University fellow, faces espionage charges after being detained for more than one year, his family said last week. In 2022, Chinese-born Australian journalist Cheng Lei was tried in China on national security charges but has yet to learn the verdict, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in March. Cheng worked for CGTN, the English-language state TV channel aimed at foreign audiences. She was detained in August 2019 and accused of sharing state secrets. In Hong Kong, the Communist Party forced a prominent newspaper, Apple Daily, to shut down as part of a crackdown on pro-democracy sentiment. Apple Daily's founder, Jimmy Lai, was convicted of fraud last year that his supporters said were politically motivated. Six other former executives of the newspaper pleaded guilty.

Mayor of South Korea’s Incheon metropolitan city, Yoo Jeong-bok, has said drone taxis will be up and running between Incheon International Airport and the capital city Seoul in 2025. “Incheon is considered one of the best places to do business and a great place to invest in (South) Korea by leading companies at home and abroad,” he said. The mayor was addressing a farewell reception marking the conclusion of the World Journalists Conference 2023 in Incheon on April 28. Read More: Known for laughs, DC dinner spotlights risks of journalism.

The White House Correspondents' Association dinner — known for its fun albeit ferocious jabs at Washington — took a more solemn tone this year as what many see as the brazen attack on press freedom across the globe was on painful display. Upon arriving at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden met privately with the parents of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been imprisoned in Russia since March. He was charged with spying, despite strong denials from his employer and the U.S. government. Some guests wore buttons with “Free Evan” printed on them. Also among the 2,600 people attending the gala is Debra Tice, the mother of Austin Tice, who has not been heard from since disappearing at a checkpoint in Syria in 2012. U.S. officials say they operate under the assumption that he is alive and are working to try to bring him home. Also Read: Jailed US reporter in Russian court to appeal detention “They are among hundreds of journalists around the world who are wrongfully detained for the simple act of doing journalism — which is not a crime,” said Tamara Keith, a White House correspondent for NPR and the association’s president. The Bidens also made a beeline for Brittney Griner, the WNBA star and Olympic gold medalist who was detained in Russia for nearly 10 months last year before her release in a prisoner swap. Griner is attending with her wife, Cherelle, as guests of CBS News. The black-tie dinner draws a wide array of celebrities and media moguls to Washington, with parties being held across the capital. Among those in attendance are actor Liev Schreiber, singer John Legend and his wife, Chrissy Teigen, the model and television personality. Also Read: Russia charges Journal reporter with espionage: Report Actor and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opened the dinner with a pre-taped video about the importance of a free and independent press. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are seated on the stage along with comedian Roy Wood Jr., a correspondent for “The Daily Show,” as the featured entertainer. Wood gave a preview of where his jokes were headed, predicting that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wasn’t likely to end his culture clashes or stop his feud with Disney just because of a few jibes. The comedian told CNN not to expect DeSantis to say, "'You know what, man, you’re right. Go ahead and put Black history back in them books.’ ... He’s fighting Mickey Mouse. You can’t change that person’s mind with a joke.” The venue is a familiar one for Biden, who attended several as vice president to Barack Obama. The Washington event returned last year after being sidelined by the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Biden was the first president in six years to accept the invitation after Donald Trump shunned the event while in office. Biden took the opportunity last year to take aim at his many critics, including Republicans and the leader of their party: Trump. This year, he is coming not only as the commander in chief but as a presidential contender.

The government of Bangladesh has said as a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child it would not tolerate any act of abusing children, noting that Prothom Alo journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams was arrested because of “child abuse and exploitation”. "The government would also not accept any such effort aimed at maligning the Independence Day of the nation," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today (April 01, 2023). The government of Bangladesh is committed to uphold the freedom of expression for all its citizens and the media, the foreign ministry said. Read More: Prothom Alo journalist Shams denied bail, sent to jail However, it said, creating social unrest by undertaking such “fraudulent acts” is contrary to the spirit of honest journalism. The ministry said it has been brought to the notice of the government that some international media and institutions are claiming that a journalist in Bangladesh, named Shamsuzzaman, has been arrested as he wrote about the “cost of living in Bangladesh”. "This information is totally false and fabricated. This journalist was arrested because of ‘child abuse’ and ‘child exploitation," the foreign ministry said. Many media outlets have been continuously reporting on the cost of living in Bangladesh since the beginning of the Ukraine war which has caused inflation around the world. Read More: Prothom Alo journalist Shams taken to court "No one has been arrested due to such reporting. The said journalist was arrested because of child abuse and child exploitation, as he offered ten taka to a 9-year-old boy and then expressed his own views in the name of that child," the ministry said. "That is surely an act of child abuse and exploitation. Secondly, he tried to undermine the independence of Bangladesh on the great Independence Day. These acts are surely tantamount to punishable crimes," the foreign ministry said. Read More: Prothom Alo reporter Shamsuzzaman sued under DSA

Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim has been honoured with the ‘Who’s Who Bangladesh-2022’ award for his outstanding contribution to journalism. He received the prestigious award from Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud at the award giving ceremony in a city hotel on Tuesday, said PM’s Assistant Press Secretary MM Emrul Kayas. The Who's Who is a leading source of biographical data on more than 33,000 globally distinguished people in the fields of agriculture, art & culture, academia, media, social work and sports. It has been published annually since 1849. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen presided over the 'Who’s Who Bangladesh-2022’ Award ceremony organised for the fourth time here. The first three award ceremonies were held in 2016, 2018 and 2020. This year, 12 other winners of the award are Dr Syed Manzoorul Islam in the education category, Runa Laila in arts and culture, Kohinur Kamal of Meridian Agro in agriculture, Dr. Augustine Cruze in arts and literature, Sulaiman Ajanee of Standard Finis Oil Company in entrepreneur, Prof Dr Sharfuddin Ahmed in professional, Abu Sadeq of SS group in corporate, president of Dhaka Ahsania Mission Kazi Rafiqul Islam in social work, shooter Sabrina Sultana in sports, Nasima Akter Nisha in women entrepreneur, artist Rafiqun Nabi in lifetime achievement, and Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit in institutional category. Read more: Tarafder M Ruhul Amin gets Mother Teresa Int'l Award In previous years, the Who’s Who Bangladesh Awards were given to the eminent citizens of Bangladesh including Prof Anisuzzaman, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, Dr Rafiqul Islam, Shyek Shiraj, Aly Zaker, Mustafa Monwar, Hassan Azizul Hoq Selina Hossain, Shamsuzzaman Khan, Abdul Gaffar Chowdhury, Toab Khan, Golam Sarwar and Bibi Russell. The purpose of the award is to highlight and acknowledge people who have played, and continue to play, vital roles in the development of Bangladesh in various areas such as entrepreneurial business, social work, charitable contribution, fair politics, improving human rights, civil service, law enforcement, education and the media. The Who’s Who Bangladesh publishes the biographies of these awardees on the same day and circulates them around the world in order to draw attention to their contribution to society. Read more: 2 Bangladesh projects win 2022 Aga Khan Award for Architecture

The participation of women in journalism is still very low for various socioeconomic drawbacks, speakers said at a dialogue.  They said the presence of women in journalism, especially in leadership roles in Bangladesh, is very negligible with the lack of ‘role model’ and ‘heroes’ which tends to have an adverse impact on women’s participation in the field of journalism.  Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) recently organised their latest BIPSS Policy Café “[email protected]” on "Women in Journalism: Prospects & Challenges" at a city hotel.  BIPSS President Major General ANM Muniruzzaman moderated the event, said a media release on Thursday. Also read: Misinformation severe deterrence to progress: BIPSS President Ayesha Kabir, Consulting Editor of Prothom Alo, English, was the guest speaker at the policy dialogue attended by diplomats, editors, scholars, defence personnel, academics and other dignitaries and relevant participants. The speakers highlighted the huge percentage of women within the overall population and thus they have a more than crucial role in terms of their participation towards shaping public life and national perception towards the media.  They said the surge of Covid-19 has only exacerbated the underlying complexities regarding the whole situation. They also highlighted the worrying lack of safety that a woman has to encounter while undertaking her journalistic duties and responsibilities.  The speakers focused on the role of women in journalism towards ensuring a gender sensitive national agenda, while showcasing the components that are significant towards ensuring the sensitization.  They also suggested various recommendations towards a course of actions conducive towards ensuring greater acceptance and inclusion of the role of women in journalism for the wider society, which is imperative in the age of globalisation and connectivity.  Also read: Media orientation prog on humanitarian journalism held in Cox’s Bazar Another key aspect that came to the forefront is how women bring fresh perspectives, challenges essential towards formulating a more pragmatic scenario in journalism. During the interactive discussion between the guest speaker and the audience, many key aspects concerning the issue came into the spotlight, especially an increase in terms of awareness over the role of women’s participation in journalism. 

Bangladesh on Tuesday joined the global community of journalists in observing the annual World News Day, which aims to promote the importance of authentic journalism. News organisations and media houses came together across the world on this fourth iteration of World News Day, choosing to highlight the critical importance of credible journalism in providing trustworthy information about the climate crisis and the planet's future. With the involvement of 500 news organisations across the world, the campaign focuses on one point -- climate change, or as the terminology shifts, the climate crisis -- with 2021 on course to be declared as the hottest year on record amid the worsening consequences of global warming. The flagship virtual event of this year's campaign is a 75-minute Web show titled “World News Day: The Climate Crisis”. World News Day is an initiative driven by the Canadian Journalism Foundation and the World Editors Forum to raise awareness about the critical role of journalists in people’s lives. The very first World News Day was observed on September 28, 2018. Read: Dickson lauds Bangladesh's efforts on climate front

Online journalism is now very popular in Bangladesh and playing a leading role in the news media with its growing presence, Director of the Russian House in Dhaka Maxim Dobrokhotov said Thursday. Dobrokhotov also noted the crucial contribution of the national media to everyday life. The Russian House in Dhaka hosted a special briefing dedicated to the "International Day of Journalists' Solidarity." Read: Future of journalism depends on adaptation, professionalism: Dr Arefin

Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) organised a two-day-long workshop in Sylhet city on fact-checking and verification techniques of health journalism.The Asia Foundation-supported workshop took place during September 20-21. It aimed to enhance the capacity of journalists, working to create and publish objective, insightful and influential news on health management.It also wanted to encourage the journalists to acquire modern knowledge and skills in data verification and presentation in creating neutral and balanced health reports.Twenty journalists from national dailies, online news portals, and television channels participated in the workshop.Abu Rushd Md Ruhul Amin, the senior news editor of Banglavision, Al Azad, CEO of Syltv, discussed the issues.Md Zakaria, senior program manager of The Aisa Foundation, was present in the training and highlighted the importance of fact-checking and verification, especially in health journalism during the Covid-19 Pandemic.The workshop focused on health journalism in the current context, reliable sources, sources in health journalism, information verification techniques; and media monitoring techniques for misinformation published through social media, and sensitivity of Covid reporting.Participants were also provided with insights into the importance and strategies of misinformation, disinformation, mal-information prevention, and the use of infographics in reporting, as well as various means of enhancing national and international communication in health journalism.