Self-regulation key to preventing state interference in media: Experts

Media leaders, press freedom advocates and legal experts have called for a strong self-regulation framework to protect Bangladesh's media from state interference and corporate influence, warning that public trust in journalism has fallen to a critical low.

The call came at a policy dialogue titled "Media self-regulation in Bangladesh", organised by the Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) in Dhaka today (28 January), where participants emphasised that without internal accountability, editorial independence, and financial transparency, the future of independent journalism is at serious risk. 

Mahfuz Anam, editor and publisher of The Daily Star, stressed that the survival of independent media depended on establishing the institution of an "independent editor" who can stand up to both government pressure and owner interference.

"An editor must be prepared to go to jail rather than allow the government to harm journalists, and also be ready to lose his job instead of compromising editorial ethics," he said, criticising the politicisation of journalists' unions for eroding public trust.

Mahfuz Anam outlined three key steps for self-regulation: journalists keeping their political views personal, owners committing not to use media outlets for political purposes, and guaranteeing full operational independence for editors.

Kamal Ahmed, former chief of the Media Reform Commission, echoed concerns about declining credibility, saying only 17% of people believe the media operates independently. He noted that most media houses lack formal self-regulation mechanisms.

He also criticised the government's "hurried" move to create new broadcast and media commissions, which he said overlap with existing regulators such as the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and the Press Council.

"This stitching-up approach of creating new commissions at the last minute could invite serious problems in the future," he warned.

Kamal stressed that transparency in media ownership and revenue sources is essential. "There is no guarantee that all money comes from legitimate channels, and the media's soft power is often misused," he said.

Newspaper Owners' Association of Bangladesh (Noab) President AK Azad said successive governments had weakened democratic institutions. "The current government, like past ones, has crippled the judiciary and is keeping ordinary people in jail without due process."

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"If one newspaper is attacked today, another could be next. Journalism cannot survive if we remain divided. We must stay united," he added.

Barrister Sara Hossain stressed that self-regulation alone would not be enough without enforceable legal reforms. She called for decriminalising defamation and repealing laws related to religious sentiment, which are often used to harass journalists.

Highlighting economic pressures on the industry, Jamuna TV Chief Executive Officer Fahim Ahmed linked ethical journalism to financial security for journalists. 

He noted that the absence of provident funds, gratuity and proper implementation of the Wage Board often pushes reporters towards political patronage.

Prothom Alo Executive Editor Sajjad Sharif described the media environment as volatile and polarised between pro-democracy and anti-media camps. He said editorial independence must be practised daily, not just written into policy documents.

At the dialogue, MRDI presented a reform roadmap based on three pillars: editorial standards, ownership transparency and grievance redress mechanisms.

The proposal includes newsroom-led self-regulation, adoption of public editorial codes on accuracy and fairness, appointment of Standards Editors, internal quarterly audits, time-bound audience grievance mechanisms and visible "Corrections and Clarifications" sections across platforms.

It also recommends disclosure of beneficial ownership, breakdowns of advertising revenue, hybrid review systems combining internal and external experts, industry-wide registries and integrity or trust marks to signal credibility.

The dialogue concluded with a call for phased, voluntary adoption of these measures by media organisations, warning that failure to act could invite more restrictive state intervention in the sector.