The government and influential people do not care about media reports that expose their misdeeds and corruption, said panellists at a seminar on challenges of investigative journalism on Monday. Transparency International Bangladesh organised the seminar for distributing the Award on Investigative Reporting on Corruption 2013 marking the International Anti-Corruption Day.
Addressing the programme at BRAC Centre, senior journalist ABM Musa said, ‘The government or influential people do not care about investigative reports that expose their corruption. Many reports have been made about the corruption of the present government but it seems indifferent to them.’
He said that in many cases the ruling party people tortured journalists for writing and publishing those reports.
‘The journalists have to do their job from their commitment towards the profession,’ he said.
He said the technology was helping journalists in many ways now but at the same time professional hazards also increased sharply.
Baishakhi Television chief executive officer Manjurul Ahsan Bulbul said that the investigative journalism was the beauty of the profession.
‘There are other types of journalism but investigative journalism makes a good journalist,’ he said.
Journalists have to face internal and external challenges while perusing investigative reports, he said.
He said, ‘The owners of media outlets create internal challenges and the people who might be exposed by the reports are the external challenges. It is difficult to overcome those challenges but a journalist have to be tactful and determined.’
TIB board of trustee chairperson Sultana Kamal said that the government did not care about the media reports and kept mum when ruling party activists assault and harass journalists.
‘The district-level journalists are the worst sufferers of this situation,’ she said.
Even if government does not take those reports into consideration, the people do and the reports have major impact in the society, she said.
TIB executive director Iftekharuzzaman hosted the seminar.
This year HM Alauddin of Khulna-based Daily Purbanchal got the award in local newspaper category, Apurba Alauddin of Jamuna Television in electronic media category, and Zulfikar Ali Manik of Dhaka Tribune received the award in national print media category for their investigative reports
-With New Age input
