Once the media was the mirror of society where the reflection of truth appeared, and people could see their own reality through it. But now that mirror seems shattered into many fragmented pieces. It is difficult to distinguish which piece reflects truth and which reflects vested interests. Today’s media resembles that broken mirror; no matter how long one looks into it, clarity does not come, rather confusion increases. Media is supposed to be the bridge between the government and the people. But the media landscape in Bangladesh is covered with fog, fog that moves according to the signals of the powerful.
Bangladesh’s media was once the voice of the common people, an instrument of state transparency. Truth was published on the pages of newspapers, television screens broadcast bold reports exposing corruption, and journalism meant courage, honesty, and principles. But in the last decade, the character of the media has changed drastically. Now anyone can claim to be a journalist by opening a Facebook page and holding a camera. There is no professional training, no ethical consciousness, and no sense of responsibility. Moreover, mainstream media has also become captive to various influences, political loyalties, and business interests. The space for speaking for the people is shrinking day by day, while speaking for the powerful and protecting their interests seems to have become the main task. The Media Reform Commission has also identified these issues as major crises and has made several recommendations to rebuild accountability, independence, and ethical standards in the media sector.
One of the most prominent problems in today’s media landscape is the rise of Facebook journalism. Many carry the mentality that journalism can be done simply by having a smartphone. Fake news, fake identities, and fake investigations are misleading people every day. Loyalty to influential individuals is corrupting the media. Politics, business, and corporate power all exert pressure on the media. Many reports cannot be published because they are stopped from above. As a result, media freedom is shrinking. The lack of accountability is one of the major causes behind this. Even when incorrect or misleading news is published, in most cases there is no review or accountability. Instead, wrong information spreads, harming people’s lives, dignity, and personal safety. Investigative journalism is dying. The courageous journalism that once revealed the truth is almost extinct now. Because doing investigative reports brings risk, pressure, and threats. Moreover, many media outlets lack the capability to do such work. Due to excessive commercialization, news is now advertisement-driven. In selecting news, commercial interests and popularity metrics are given more importance, not the real problems of the people.
There are several causes behind this deterioration of the media. The first among them is the lack of ethics and principles. The core values of journalism truth, neutrality, and responsibility to the people now exist only on paper. There is no universal ethical standard or code of conduct that all institutions must follow. Weak legal structures also contribute to this. The existing laws are often used to control journalists, not to protect them. Fake journalists easily bypass legal complexities. Due to the concentration of media ownership and political influence, many media houses are controlled by a few families. This type of ownership makes the media biased. The owner’s interest becomes more important than the interest of the people. Untrained workers also damage the integrity of the media. Journalism is a profession, but many now treat it as a hobby. Lack of education, skill, and ethical practice in journalism reduces the overall quality. Because there is no culture of accountability, there is no practice of apologizing, correcting, or re-evaluating mistakes. Thus, the media becomes increasingly irresponsible.
Some urgent steps are needed for proper media reform. First, a standard code of conduct must be created. According to the recommendations of the Media Reform Commission, a universal ethical code should be created for all journalists and media organizations in Bangladesh. It may include mandatory fact-checking, guidelines for news collection and broadcasting, procedures for correcting false information, transparency standards, rules to avoid conflicts of interest, protocols for ensuring journalists’ safety and independence, and verification systems for journalist identity. A national registration system is required to determine who is a journalist and who is not, to reduce the influence of fake journalism. Transparency in media ownership and expenditure must be ensured. Who owns a media house, where their income and expenditure come from, and how advertisers influence them—all must be transparent. Investigative journalism should be revived. Institutions must enhance capacities, ensure journalists’ safety, and encourage investigative work. Responsibility to the people must be restored. News should be for the public interest and public welfare. Not views, reach, or commercial benefit—real problems of the people should be the basis of news selection.
Today, the media in Bangladesh stands at a point of crisis. This crisis is not merely technological it is the crisis of journalism’s soul. If the media loses truth, people lose trust. And without trust, a society becomes blind. Therefore, an ideal code of conduct is not only necessary now it is essential. This code will provide journalists and media houses with a structure of ethics, discipline, and responsibility. It will restore true accountability toward the people. If the media purifies itself, the state will also be purified, and society will truly be enlightened.
