Social media is both a blessing and a curse

Social media is both a blessing and a curse. Anybody can be a journalist, newspaper editor or publisher, of sorts, and disseminate whatever they like, truth or not. Credible news reports, however, are rare to find in a social media atmosphere. There is no Code of Conduct in the social media world; no rules of professional journalism apply

It was a bitterly cold day throughout Bangladesh on Sunday, January 30.

This I learned when Editor-in-Chief M. Shamsur Rahman announced the death of one of the nation’s noble publications, The Independent.

Monday was a half-mast ‘flag-flying’ day of homage, respect and sorrow held not just by its faithful readers, the newspaper industry, but also the nation at large. Democracy had lost a friend.

While the newspaper industry/community/family is highly competitive – a vicious dog-eat-dog business, always wanting to be first to get at the bone and report its findings quickest to the populace – no newspaper likes to see another cease publication… even if only from the standpoint of they needing to get employment there one day.

The venerated and beloved English-language publication that was given birth by its Beximco mother and named The Independent in 1995, became a fallout victim of the dreaded coronavirus.

Initially, the printing presses stopped clanking out its print version in April 2021 and, no doubt, all hoped (and probably prayed) the hey-days of the advertising taka would again return, once coronavirus had dissipated, but that was not to be.

It is always sad to see a newspaper bite the dust. Its size, small or large, is immaterial. Newspapers enter the home or office by invitation, like a stray pup or kitten found in the street. Once adopted, newspapers become members of the family and bring news of the world outside to the dining table and enrich the knowledge of all within.

Promise Failure

Those newspapers that fail to hold up the promise in their catchy slogans beneath their mastheads are barred from family contact and ultimately thrown back into the streets. They were given a chance and blew it.

The demise of a newspaper or a revered news portal should be a concern for all. It means there are lesser opportunities out there to echo the voice of the people, to bring world and local news into proximity, lesser opportunities to inform and educate the masses and uphold the principles of democracy and condemn – or educate – those who don’t.

Some years ago, an Australian opposition political leader was asked by a journalist how he saw the role of the opposition party in democracy. He replied without hesitation “we’re here to keep the bastards honest”.

One can only hope all opposition parties share the same noble mission and are not just standing in queue hoping to win power to take over the misdeeds where their predecessor left off. The media worldwide plays an all essential role in promoting and maintaining democracy, lowering graft, corruption, and whenever needed to keep those in power honest, and to protect the rights of all, for the greater benefit of all. They mirror the conscience of the nation.

To achieve this honorable goal, it is essential all news is trustworthy. Credible news is essential to inform the citizenry of any democracy to permit the people to think for themselves, make up their own God given minds, and not to be told what to think or do.

Social Media

Social media is both a blessing and a curse. Anybody can be a journalist, newspaper editor or publisher, of sorts, and disseminate whatever they like, truth or not. Credible news reports, however, are rare to find in a social media atmosphere. There is no Code of Conduct in the social media world; no rules of professional journalism apply. You take as is given.

The Ten Commandments… the essential obligations of a journalist engaged in gathering, editing and commenting news, for a newspaper or online news portal are:

1.  To respect truth whatever be the consequence to him/herself, because of the right of the public to know the truth.

1. To defend freedom of information, comment and criticism.

2. To report only on facts of which he/she knows the origin, not to suppress essential information nor alter texts and documents.

3. Not to use unfair methods to obtain news, photographs or documents.

4. To restrict him/herself to the respect of privacy.

5. To rectify any published information which is found to be inaccurate.

6. To observe professional secrecy and not to divulge the source of information obtained in confidence.

7. To regard as grave professional offences the following: plagiarism, calumny, slander, libel and unfounded accusations, the acceptance of bribe in any form in consideration of either publication or suppression of news.

8. Never to confuse the profession of a journalist with that of an advertisements salesman or a propagandist and to refuse any direct or indirect orders from advertisers.

9. To resist every pressure and to accept editorial orders only from the responsible persons of the editorial staff.

Social media falls short of these obligations. It is a wild beast yet to be tamed and could never provide the security and peace of mind of a principled national newspaper. Having said that, even respected national dailies sometimes get it wrong, but on a much lesser scale and the Code of Conduct obliges them to rectify it…. not that they always do.

While I feel great sorrow for the loss of the newspapers and the valuable services they give, my focus of sympathy goes especially to the dedicated talented people behind the scene – the Editors, Sub-Editors, journalists, photographers, page designers, advertising staff and such – who lose employment as a result of these closures.

It was with profound sadness I waived goodbye to Holiday (edited by Syed Kamal Kamaluddin and later by Abdul Rahman Khan), The News Today (edited by Reazuddin Ahmed) and now The Independent (edited by my friend, now deceased, Mahbubul Alam, and later by Mr. M. Shamsur Rahman).

To the teams at Holiday, The News Today and The Independent I wish you well and know I’m reflecting the thoughts of many readers who appreciated your efforts to make this a better Bangladesh.

I thank you especially for joining with me in my campaign to eradicate corporal punishment from schools, homes and madrassas … to make this a better Bangladesh.

If there’s a newspaper heaven, rest assured there are three newspaper stands reserved for you.