Md. Al Amin

Journalism is as a matter of fact a special way of disseminating various pieces of information regarding different branches of education to the people of different classes and ages. It is also both a prestigious and perilous occupation because journalists fight against all kinds of ominous forces around the world through different types of journalism to maintain security, discipline, and peace.

Though there are numberless professions in the world, the significance of journalism in the field of making a human society safe and peaceful is actually laudable and undeniable. As a columnist, I think that objectivity is the base of journalism. If we go through the published reports of mass media about the outstanding roles of journalists in different critical and pathetic situations of human beings, it will be easier to understand the importance of journalism globally.

We find much information as to different topics from mass media like Print, Broadcast, and Digital (Online) Media everyday. Journalists always try to uphold the unethical and unlawful activities like extortion, genocide, rape, adultery, deception, abduction corruption, bribery, robbery, eve-teasing, ransom, and so on in different news platforms so that victims can easily get justice. Besides, they present informative and educative reports to the learners of different levels including the targeted people to spread knowledge everywhere. They also play spontaneous and fearless roles whenever human beings are in deadly and tragic situations. They are always ready to sacrifice many things by emphasizing public interest. The news of the tragic death of journalists is also found in newspapers. Honest, intrepid, and dutiful journalists can't compromise with offence. As a result, they are to face pathetic and terrible situations. If we go back to the history of the Liberation War of East Pakistan in 1971, we can easily realise the daring and outstanding roles of journalists like others. Though the people of different ages and professions were also capable of fighting against Pakistani Army, the journalists of mass media played a significant role in raising the voices of the people of different religions against the genocide of Pakistani Army in East Pakistan (at present, Bangladesh). The New York Times (USA), The Times of India (India), The Sunday Times (UK), The Statesman (India), The Daily Mirror (UK), The Guardian (UK) and so on also played fearless roles against the unethical and brutal activities of Pakistani Army to raise humanity and create public awareness globally although the USA (America) was against the freedom of East Pakistan. Besides, the roles of Bangladeshi media and journalists were also informative and outstanding in 1971. Now, let's pay our heed to the Israel-Palestine war. The Israeli forces are killing thousands of general people in Palestine indiscriminately in conformity with different media reports. The people of different classes and professions including students are also shocked at the genocide of Israeli forces in Palestine. We can know many things regarding the Israel-Palestine war from different places through mass media. Journalists are capable of giving us some information about the war everyday endangering themselves. No war is expected because it causes an irreparable loss to mankind. Is Israel more powerful than the United Nations (UN) ? This is my question before the global leaders and concerned authorities. It’s so tough to prevent Israeli forces without exemplary punishment. As a Bangladeshi columnist, I can’t but urge the international leaders and relevant communities to stop all kinds of bloody games like genocide around the world soon. Journalists were also capable of creating public awareness against Covid-19 differently. History says us that journalists' spontaneous roles during different natural calamities were also outstanding and educative. Journalists always attempt to protect human rights everywhere. Let’s look at one of the most significant articles of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), an important document in the history of mankind. According to the article - 19 of The UDHR, “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Besides, let’s understand the index of the world press freedom of different countries from an international NGO named Reporters Without Borders or RWB (RSF) in France. This NGO works for the security, freedom, and so on of mass media and journalists globally. Now, let’s try to know the position of Bangladesh in the light of the World Press Freedom Index -2024. This report (index) says that Bangladesh has ranked the 165th position out of 180 countries with a score of 27.64. It’s really unexpected and sorrowful that the report also gives us the risky and unfavourable situations of mass media and journalists in different countries including Bangladesh. As a Bangladeshi columnist, I firmly believe that sufficient freedom of mass media is essential for protecting democracy, human rights and so on. Honesty, courage, dutifulness, sincerity, sagacity, objectivity, and punctuality are essential for making journalism more perfect and attractive. Journalists and reporters also play an outstanding role in ensuring the rule of laws through mass media although there are some differences between a journalist and a reporter. Mass media should be more careful of rumor because it is rumor that is enough to create anarchy in the human society. There is no scope to deny the importance of journalism in our respective societies. There is another kind of journalism that is Yellow Journalism. I think that Yellow Journalism is a nasty step of spoiling the clean image of objective journalism because it is based on exaggeration and dishonest purposes. It’s also true that many honest, fearless, dutiful, unselfish, and sincere journalists don't get desired homage from the people of different ages because of the misdeeds of dishonest and disqualified journalists around the world. We often find sensitive or objectionable information regarding dishonest and disqualified journalists from mass media. We should create public awareness everywhere against fake, dishonest, and disqualified journalists to maintain the clean image of journalism. I think ideal journalists are free from greed, fear, partiality, and other negative sides. It’s a matter of sorrow that the journalists of different countries including Bangladesh are unable to perform their respective duties properly because of draconian laws according to different media reports. As a Bangladeshi columnist, I think that journalists and reporters should be given sufficient freedom, appropriate security, and desired dignity without delay to maintain order, security, and peace everywhere. Journalism is not only a prestigious profession but also a fearless step against all kinds of ominous forces around the world. So, it can be said that the human society will be unsafe and suffocating if the journalists and reporters of mass media are inactive.

The writer is a Bangladeshi columnist holding a master’s degree in English Language and Literature from Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University (JKKNIU). His X (Twitter) handle is “@ColumnistAlAmin”.