When will the news media dare to question itself?

In Bangladesh, conversations about press freedom are constant, but discussions about the media's own accountability and transparency are far less frequent.

- BY Dr Rezwan-UL-ALAM

Journalists often claim that state control, lawsuits, intimidation, attacks, blackouts, dependence on advertising, and political ownership or influence hinder their ability to work freely. But citizens may also raise an equally valid concern: if the government is not regulating the media, then who will?

This leads to an uncomfortable question. How often does a media house step before its audience and confront its own mistakes, biases, financial interests, or the pressures that influence its reporting? This lack of a culture of self-examination is the most fragile aspect of our media environment. That is where the idea of self-regulation emerges—not as censorship, but as a form of responsibility.

During the 2024 mass uprising, many journalists were assaulted on the streets, their equipment smashed, while many faced lawsuits and arrests. The internet shutdown halted the flow of information entirely. Many outlets could not publish the truth, not only because the internet was down but also because some owners blocked stories or because journalists themselves feared internal or external consequences. Later, when the interim government cancelled accreditation cards of 167 journalists, the Editors’

Council described it as a direct attack.

For these reasons, the formation of the Media Reform Commission in late 2024 seemed like an opportunity for real change. It recommended an independent media commission, legal protection for journalists, transparency in ownership, fair wages, and a framework to rebuild public trust. However, discussions later revealed that the central recommendation—establishment of an independent commission—might be removed from the draft. If that indeed happens, the entire reform process could be meaningless as self-regulation depends on supervision by a truly independent third party.