Journalists, owners and government ‘working together’ to serve media’s interest: information minister

Journalists, media owners and the government are "working together" to build an independent, responsible and economically sustainable media system, says Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon.

Speaking at a seminar at a hotel in Dhaka on Friday, he said: "The media itself acknowledges that there is no form of control imposed on it."

The minister said the government aims to build a "media ecosystem" in which the interests of media owners, journalists, advertisers, the state and the public are balanced, while ensuring that journalists can perform their professional duties independently and enjoy fair dignity and economic security.

Highlighting that democracy and the media are complementary to one another, he urged all stakeholders to view the media not merely as a business enterprise but as one of the fundamental pillars of state and society.

Describing journalism and the news media industry as the country's "undeclared yet indispensable fourth pillar," Swapon said ensuring journalists' professional independence, dignity and security is an important responsibility of the state. However, he added that achieving this goal also requires strengthening the economic foundation of the media industry.

"If media owners do not receive a fair business environment and reasonable profits, the industry will not be sustainable," he said. "At the same time, without a strong private-sector production economy, the advertising market for products will not expand either."

The information minister said the traditional media landscape has become increasingly complex with the rise of digital platforms, global technology companies and artificial intelligence.

Given this changing reality, he stressed the need for forward-looking policies and institutional reforms.

Emphasising that the objective is not to control the media but to bring it within a rules-based framework, Swapon said: "Without good governance and an effective regulatory system, there is a risk that, in some cases, media outlets could be used as tools for business interests or bargaining, which would be harmful to media freedom and credibility."

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir also addressed the seminar, titled "The Role of the Media in a Sustainable Democracy," organised by the Television Editors' Council (TEC).