The Digital Security Act has been formulated revoking Section 57 of the ICT Act to make it mandatory for the media to publish news based on facts instead of ‘yellow journalism,’ says Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu
The government is giving print, electronic and online media all-out support to carry ‘objective reports’, Inu told the House on Thursday (Oct 25).
Replying to a query from MP Mamunur Rashid Kiron, he said, “The National Broadcast Policy 2014 and the National Online Mass Media Policy 2017 have been formulated with an objective to help the media run objective news.”
Responding to another query, Inu said the government has provided financial assistance to 1,396 journalists, amounting to Tk 100 million, from the fund of Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust over the last eight years.
Describing the government as media-friendly, he claimed that it has no intentions to control the media. “Instead, the government is helping the print, electronic and online media to carry credible reports based on facts.”
Replying to another question, the minister said as many as 489 national daily newspapers are now being published across the country.