Photo : Messenger
The profession of journalism plays a crucial role in society. Often referred to as the fourth estate, the media is a cornerstone of a functioning democracy. Newspapers serve as a mirror for society, and their condition often reflects a country's state of governance. Reporters Without Borders (RWB) ranked Bangladesh 165th out of 180 countries in the 2024 Global Press Freedom Index, a ranking the Bangladesh government rejected. Regardless of the reasons for this rejection, it is clear that Bangladesh’s news media needs a sustainable policy for journalist recruitment and media management.
Since my student days, I have been contemplating ways to improve the media system in Bangladesh. Even as a teacher, I advised my students that those who study journalism and mass media solely for financial reasons should consider switching to another field. Journalism and teaching are unique professions that significantly impact society by shaping minds and consciences. Unfortunately, both fields struggle to attract qualified candidates in Bangladesh due to incomplete and non-transparent recruitment processes. Recently, discussions have resurfaced about bringing more qualified individuals into journalism.
I propose a structured approach to elevating journalism to international standards, focusing on five specific phases: academic qualifications, a central examination authority, fair recruitment methods in individual media houses, job security with a sustainable agreement, and proper distribution of government advertisements. Here’s a summary of my proposal:
Minimum Academic Qualifications Should Be a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism
To enter the journalism profession, candidates should have at least a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communication. Long-term studies in journalism, media, and mass communication from public or UGC-approved private universities should be mandatory. If immediate implementation is challenging, candidates must complete a diploma or certificate course in journalism from a qualified institution in addition to a bachelor’s degree in any subject. Allowing entry without a minimum education in journalism and mass communication should be prohibited.
Just as medical, engineering, or law degrees are mandatory for their respective professions, a degree in journalism, communication, and media should be compulsory for journalists, from editors to reporters. The government should make this degree mandatory, considering longer work experience for those with less educational attainment as an exception, not the rule. Exceptional cases like Kazi Nazrul Islam, Kangal Harinath, or Monajat Uddin should not set a precedent.
Beyond subject knowledge, journalists should pass tests on ideological impartiality and ethical dilemmas. Understanding concepts like propaganda, sensationalism, and information disorder is crucial. Thus, a quality education in journalism should be the basic qualification for journalists.
Central Examination Authority of Journalism (CEAJ) and Journalist Unique ID
After setting minimum academic qualifications, a central assessment test should be established. Similar to the NTRCA, or Bar Council, the Central Examination Authority of Journalism (CEAJ) would certify candidates as "licensed to practice journalism" if they passed a rigorous examination. Media outlets would inform the government of vacant positions, prompting the CEAJ to conduct examinations akin to those of the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC). Passing this examination would grant a prestigious Journalist Identification Number (JID), enhancing the profession's prestige in the country.
Currently, journalistic recruitment lacks fairness, with ineligible candidates often appointed to serve specific agendas. Owners prefer less qualified individuals willing to work for lower salaries, undermining the watchdog role of the media. In districts and villages, low-quality recruits are destroying the overall image of journalists. The CEAJ would ensure a fair process, testing candidates on issues like propaganda, fake news, and self-censorship, along with the basics of journalism and communication. This would elevate the status of journalists and ensure only qualified individuals enter the profession.
Job security and sustainable agreements
After passing the central examination, media outlets should conduct their competitive exams to recruit those with a Journalist Identification Number (JID). Divisions, districts, upazilas, and unions should also participate in the recruitment tests, not just Dhaka. Journalists who pass these tests are likely to avoid unprofessional conduct like extortion or spreading fake news because of their qualifications and ethical training.
According to the wage board principle, the government must ensure that journalists receive fair wages and guarantee job security through sustainable agreements. Like all other jobs, journalists should receive house rent, medical allowance, festive bonuses, and vacations. Investigators should only dismiss journalists for valid reasons, not for refusing to serve owners' interests or engaging in unethical practices. Similarly, media owners who exploit their profession should face prosecution.
Proper Distribution of Government Advertisements
Edward Hermann and Noam Chomsky’s Propaganda Model highlights the significant control owners and business tycoons have over the media. In Bangladesh, politics, heavily influenced by businessmen, dictates media operations. Consequently, government advertisements often favour pro-government outlets. This needs to change.
Government funding should be distributed among independent, objective news media. Advertisements should be allocated fairly to newspapers, online media, television, and radio, fostering a competitive environment. This would ensure media scrutiny over all societal sectors, as Walter Lippmann stated, “There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and to shame the devil.”
Preventing the Cycle of Disqualification Fair Teacher Recruitment Process The Pillar of Ethical Journalism
To produce quality journalists, proper education at the undergraduate and graduate levels is essential. Universities must maintain a fair teacher recruitment process to ensure that only highly qualified candidates become faculty members. If teachers enter this profession with merit and morality, they will impart the best epistemological efforts to prepare students as pillars of the fourth estate. Conversely, if teachers are disqualified, they may recruit similarly unqualified candidates who would work at institutions like PIB and other public and private universities. Consequently, this would produce low-quality graduates who might be complicit in ethical degradation, corruption, crimes, propaganda, and various forms of information disorder. I refer to this process as the 'cycle of disqualification.'
In this context, journalists' associations in the country could play a vital role, as they are often the foot soldiers of power, the elite, and capitalists. This nexus of money, power, and authority significantly influences journalism in Bangladesh. They seek voters, not journalists, and followers, not those who can challenge the status quo with information and documentation.
A summary of my discussions is given below so that readers can find key points
Journalism's Unique Importance: Honest and qualified recruitment is essential due to journalism’s significant societal impact.
Educational Qualifications: The minimum qualification for journalists should be a bachelor’s degree in journalism, media, and communication. Diploma, certificate, or training courses can supplement other bachelor degrees in exceptional cases.
Fair Recruitment Process: Introduce a central examination system to certify journalists, ensuring only qualified individuals enter the profession.
Job Security and Handsome Wages: In order to attract qualified candidates, implement fair wage structures and job security agreements.
Honest Editors and Publishers: Newspaper editors must be honest, courageous, and possess higher degrees in journalism. Journalism should not employ corrupt individuals or criminals.
Fair Distribution of Advertisements
Distribution of government advertisements should favour objective and independent news media.
Central Examination Authority of Journalism (CEAJ): A central examination like the Bar Council/NTRCA should certify journalists, ensuring only qualified individuals practice journalism. They will give the successful candidates a unique Journalist Identification Number (JID).
Professional Integrity: Journalists must work with integrity, including provisions for reprimanding unethical practices and obstructing independent journalism. From cities to districts, from divisions to sub-districts, all journalists should be paid the same basic salaries after getting recruited through the same examinations.
Promotion of Objectivity and Fair Ranking: We should rank journalism based on objectivity and honesty, and implement measures to penalise those who obstruct independent journalism. Newspaper circulation number and advertisement rates published by the Department of Film and Publication under ministry of Information and Broadcasting should be more objective, as controversy exists.
To produce quality journalists, universities must ensure a fair teacher recruitment process, allowing only highly qualified candidates to become faculty members. Qualified teachers will impart strong ethical and epistemological foundations to their students, preparing them as pillars of the fourth estate. Conversely, disqualified teachers perpetuate a 'cycle of disqualification,' leading to low-quality graduates prone to ethical lapses. Journalists' associations must also play a role, as they often support power and capital, influencing journalism adversely. These associations should prioritise fostering independent and well-informed journalists over serving political, criminal, ideological, or financial interests.
Constitutional Obligation: Article 39 should be respected by all. Government ads must be neutrally distributed, favouring not only ideologically aligned outlets but also those offering objective, investigative news. Ads should be allocated across print, online, TV, and radio. Preference should be given to factual, non-conglomerate, non-political, honest, and impartial publishers or editors.
As Noam Chomsky stated, “It is the duty of intellectuals to speak the truth and to expose the lies.” This applies equally to journalists. The state must treat the media as a vital asset, ensuring a sustainable media ecology monitored by both the state and civil society. Albert Camus aptly noted, “A free press can be good or bad, but, most certainly, without freedom, a press will never be anything but bad.” Ensuring freedom in journalism requires attracting and nurturing the most qualified and ethical individuals in the field. This proposal, with necessary adjustments, offers a viable solution to the challenges faced by Bangladesh’s news media and information dissemination processes. I firmly believe that these recommendations, if considered by the authorities in Bangladesh, could substantially alter the current media landscape in favour of truth and public welfare.
The writer is a researcher on Cultural Aggression, Digital & Political Communication, and Media Ecology. He can be reached at [email protected].
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