Today, 3 May, is World Press Freedom Day. While the day is being observed, a large section of journalists feel that threats against the media is rising. As enemies of the press are rising, the number of allies is falling.
Organisations which work with journalists and their rights complain that due to pressure from governments and other organisations, proper journalism is becoming tough.
Ensuring justice for journalists becomes tough if journalist leaders do not pledge allegiance to a political party.
Consequently, the tendency towards self-censorship is rising in journalism. The yearly report of Paris based non-profit organization, “Reporters without Borders”, says that Bangladesh has fallen four notches in press freedom and is placed 150 among 180 countries.
In Bangladesh, there has been a rise in the violation of freedom of the media. Attack on media by political activists, closing down of websites and arrest of journalists have risen. In the issue of the freedom of the press and rights of the media, Bangladesh is ranked the lowest.
An organization called Article 19 says that in 2018, law has been misused in 131 incidents involving the free publication of opinion.
Juts for expressing opinion, 31 defamation cases were lodged; 71 cases were lodged under clause 57 of the ICT Act and Digital Security Act.
Reporters Without Borders says that in 2018, there were several incidents where Digital Act was used to clampdown on the press. The examples include, The Daily Star, Asian Age and bdnews24.com.
In the last few years, there have been several incidences where journalists were harassed under the ICT Act. In 2015 veteran journalist Prabir Sikdar was arrested under the ICT Act for writing on Facebook against an influential minister.
Editor of Amder Notun Somoy, Naimul Islam Khan, said, “Pressured by influential quarters, many journalists resort to self-censorship. On many occasions, media people maintain links with influential people in the office.”
DBC TV editor, Zaedul Ahsan Pintu, said, “Once upon a time, if a journalist lost employment, owners of media houses could not go against the union’s decision; now most owners show a callous disregard for laws. The union is weak and there isn’t any unity among journalists and due to political allegiance, journalists are divided.”
Naimul Islam Khan, observes: “In recent elections, we saw journalists getting involved in party campaigns; a professional journalist cannot get involved in a political party committee.”
President of the department of journalism and mass communication, Dr. Kaberi Gayen, says: “The word free media appears vacuous in a country where the journalists resort to self-censorship.”
When journalists expect something or are in fear, free journalism becomes hindered, added Gayen.
Saying that journalism has some classical enemies, Naimul Islam Khan, articulates, “Establishment, wealthy but unscrupulous business people, main political parties are in this list while civil society, the general people and researchers enrich journalism though the enemies and friends are not permanent.”