The exclusive interview given to the daily Manabjamin on this subject was highlighted for the readers of Jugantar-
In this year and a half of coronation, the media is going through a new situation. This is not happiness at all. Especially the situation of our print media is very fragile here. Freedom of expression and thought will be hampered if the newspaper industry does not become economically strong.
At present page after page is being printed without advertisements, if it continues like this for months, how will the newspaper survive? It is important to take concerted action to save the print media.
There are a number of provisions in the Digital Security Act that impede independent journalism and freedom of expression. If you put a sword on your head, you cannot move your head freely. Therefore, the barriers to independent journalism should be removed.
Saiful Alam, a senior journalist, former president of the National Press Club and editor of Jugantar, said this in an interview with Manabjamin about the current media crisis in Corona and what needs to be done to resolve it.
Q: How do you see Corona as a journalist and editor in these one and a half years?
Answer: The situation is not pleasant at all. The media is going through hostile weather. The situation we went through during the Coronation was not in our experience. It was not even in our thoughts or imagination. Even the normal situation before Corona was not very pleasant for the media, in many cases it can be said to be negative.
The media is facing a huge unimaginable crisis, especially in the face of the challenge of overcoming the economic downturn. The whole world is in that crisis. The world's politics, economy, society has fallen into a huge void. The media is no exception. The media in Bangladesh has also fallen into that trap. In many countries of the world, the media has fallen on deaf ears during this coronation. We have seen that some of the world's most reputable media outlets are closed at this time. Many have shrunk. Especially the situation of print media in Bangladesh is very delicate. Delicate because our circulation has been severely disrupted, the supply line has been completely disrupted. Advertising is also the only source of income for the print media.
Somewhere it has come down to one-fourth. Circulation dropped to seventy on the first push. Corona's second push came when it was gradually raised to fifty. We are still paying for this second push. That is why in some media outlets in Bangladesh, under the pretext of taking an economical position, manpower has been cut in some places, salaries have been reduced in some places, and some journalists and employees included in the Wage Board have been laid off and many have been hired on contract basis.
This has only happened in the case of manpower. In other cases, too, many hawkers have changed jobs to deliver papers. Because their life was not going on with the daily income from this profession.
A newspaper whose advertising revenue has become one-fourth, whose circulation has come down to thirty to forty percent. Apart from this, the duty to import newsprint in newspapers is also much higher. Taxes of corporate businessmen have been reduced in Bangladesh but no tax has been reduced in this sector even though newspapers have been declared as an industry.
Therefore, the newspaper is in a hostile atmosphere even in the case of some taxes. The editorial board and the newspaper owners have repeatedly discussed the issue and made demands. There has been sympathy for the logical demands presented in various quarters of the government but those demands have not been implemented till date. Due to which newspapers are not able to become economically self-sufficient, it is becoming a sick industry.
It is a thunder signal for newspapers as well as a lightning signal for news workers. In the case of independent expression, this is a major obstacle to the advancement of the state structure in a democratic system.
Only if the newspaper can stand on its own two feet with its own funding will we be able to see the reflection of the freedom of expression and thought enshrined in the constitution.
Q: There are discussions in various ways about the government's incentives to save the media in Corona, how do you see?
A: We wanted incentives but so far we have not received any reflection. The reflection is far from that the newspapers get around Rs.150 crore from the government for advertisements.
A one-time discount of Rs 10 crore has been made. The point is that where hundreds of crores of rupees are owed, ten crores of rupees is not an issue. Where is the incentive to handle the situation that has been going on for a year and a half? Small industries, medium industries, heavy industries and even those who have taken crores of rupees in default loans are getting incentives. This needs to be taken into consideration by the government.
Moreover, the rate of advertisement that newspapers are getting now is very old. It is not possible to sustain a newspaper with this. That too needs to change. Need to increase at least three to four times. Even there we do not find any assurance or evidence of goodwill.
I want incentives but before that I want to pay. All government and private offices are closed in Corona. Then where will the newspaper collection come from? After a month, the journalists and employees will have to pay their salaries. If it continues like this, where will the salary come from? Page after page is being printed without ads, if it continues like this for months, how will the newspaper survive?
Q: So what is the need for government cooperation?
Answer: Of course the government has a responsibility. The concerned minister of the government has the responsibility. Has sat with the concerned ministry and minister more than once. He also assured. Not only the Ministry of Information is involved in this, but many other ministries are also involved. They are accompanied by Nawab, Editorial Council, Editors Guild, Federal Union of Journalists, Dhaka Union of Journalists and other organizations. So the newspaper industry is very much aliveTough.
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woodenNewspapers are going through many big challenges. Has the ninth wage board announced by the government been implemented everywhere? Didn't. Five years ago, a policy decision was made on the media worker law, but it has not yet become law.
Q: There is talk of digital security legislation. Journalist community calls for arrest and release of senior journalist
A: I believe in the freedom of the press, especially the journalists. Any journalist who believes that can't wait to say it. We believe in the free flow of information. We believe in independent thinking. Believers in freedom of expression. Several sections of the Digital Security Act are mentioned in such a way as to impede independent journalism. The matter has been raised in a meeting with several ministers including the concerned ministry, citing several clear clauses on behalf of the editorial board.
They also agreed on the issue. But it did not relax. There is no denying that digital security laws are needed in this digital age. Digital crime has also increased a lot. We have to take that into consideration.
But there are several provisions in the current law that interfere with independent journalism and freedom of expression. If the sword is placed on the head, the head cannot be moved freely. The same thing happened with the Digital Security Act.
The state has repeatedly said that the government is quite sympathetic towards journalists. This law will not be used against them. But in reality we have seen a lot of lawsuits against journalists under the Digital Security Act in the last six months. Journalists have to go to jail under this law. We have the information, there is no time to speak differently. We believe that all sections of the Digital Security Act that impede independent journalism should be repealed.
Q: Is the Official Secrets Act under discussion?
A: It came to us dramatically all of a sudden. We've seen it applied to an event in recent times. It is not clear why journalists have taken a stand against such an old law.
Q: How is your second home press club?
Answer: I think the press club is a reflection of the aspirations of the people of Bangladesh. The oppressed, tortured, disenfranchised people of Bangladesh come here to speak for them. Fifty-six thousand square miles of people rushed here with their demands, took up positions, human chained. Disadvantaged people think that if they protest here, their words will reach the ears of those who run the state.
Many of the demands raised here have been met as a result of publicity in the newspapers. The Press Club still holds the aspirations of those people. The press club is a symbol of people's faith and trust. In the midst of such political divisions, the National Press Club speaks of unity.
There are various organizations of journalists but the National Press Club continues to uphold its dignity with its dignity and independence. This press club is the birthplace of the independence movement of Bangladesh, the independence movement, the movement to build a non-communal Bangladesh. The Press Club was also attacked on the night of March 25, 1971. The Press Club has played its responsible role in any difficult time of the country and it continues to this day.
Q: But the door of the press club of your life has been closed for a long time?
A: Corona has taken us through a new situation. This is happening in the world as we never thought possible. We also had to close the press club to ensure the health and safety of the members. However, I think the press club was closed for a shorter period of time than any other organization in this extreme. To a limited extent, the press club has been opened in compliance with the hygiene rules.
Q: What steps need to be taken to make the wheel of the newspaper industry move?
Answer: The joint efforts of all those who are associated with the newspaper industry are necessary to deal with the epidemic. The arrears owed by the newspapers should be paid immediately and for that purpose all the ministries should be given seven days or ten days to settle all the arrears.
Where you are encouraging the protection of other industries, allocating bulk, why aren't you encouraging the protection of newspaper industry? In various sectors where one lakh thousand crore rupees are being given incentives, a lump sum of five hundred crore rupees may be allocated for this industry.
If not, the news industry can be given a loan of one thousand crore rupees with nominal interest or without interest. For this facility, a big initiative of print or electronic media needs to be taken.
Question: But if such assistance is taken, will the publication of the investigation report on the activities of the government be hindered?
Answer: Now we are not writing about the activities of the government. Not appearing in newspapers or on television, not being promoted. The question may be, will we take a stand against the person from whom we will take financial advantage? Journalism is under pressure all over the world.
That is economic pressure, political pressure, muscle power pressure. The big question is how much independent journalism we can do. We are also very well controlled by capital. I think the newspaper can be motivated by maintaining its existence in that place.
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