BSS Chief Urges Journalists to Verify Facts, Combat Disinformation
Managing Director and Chief Editor of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) Muhammed Kader Gani Chowdhury today said Journalists must verify information from multiple reliable sources before publishing news.
Calling upon journalists to play a responsible role in combating rumours, disinformation and misleading information, he said truthfulness, impartiality and objectivity must be given the highest priority in journalism.
He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session of a training programme on multimedia, artificial intelligence (AI) and fact-checking for BSS journalists at the news agency's headoffice here today.
The Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) organised the three-day training programme.
The inaugural session was chaired by PIB Director General Faruk Wasif. BSS Managing Editor Md. Fazlul Haque, Chief Reporter (English) G M Rajib Hossain, Chief Reporter (Bangla) Md. Didarul Alam and PIB Trainer Jilhaj Uddin Nipun were present at the programme. A total of 37 BSS journalists are taking part in the training.
Kader Gani Chowdhury said journalism is not merely a profession but also an important responsibility towards society. Journalism plays a vital role in providing the public with accurate and timely information, shaping public opinion, raising awareness and ensuring accountability of powerful individuals and institutions.
He said journalism also contributes to strengthening democracy, human rights and the rule of law, as well as promoting education, culture and social values.
Journalists must abide by the law, ethical principles and professional codes of conduct in carrying out their duties, he added.
He further said that alongside verifying the accuracy of news, it is essential to respect individuals' privacy and human dignity. Public interest must be given the highest priority, he said, adding that journalists should be willing to promptly correct any misinformation published and issue an apology when necessary.
Urging journalists to exercise caution in publishing news, Kader Gani Chowdhury said the utmost care must be taken when reporting on issues that could incite hatred or violence.
Describing mobile journalism as a "one-man army," Kader Gani Chowdhury said the use of modern technology had created new opportunities for news gathering, editing and dissemination. A mobile journalist can use a single device to take photographs, record videos and audio, edit footage and produce news content.
The training covered the definition, objectives, responsibilities and ethics of journalism, news values and various aspects of mobile journalism.
Speaking as the chair of the programme, PIB Director General Faruk Wasif said, "We used to talk about predatory journalism, but many other forms have emerged since then. We are now witnessing 'checkpost journalism', where journalists stop anyone anywhere and thrust a microphone in front of them, whether they are returning from abroad, leaving the country, or have lost a relative."
"The job of journalism was to keep people humane. But mobile journalism is now making people inhumane. The person producing the content asks questions cruelly and behaves irresponsibly, while the viewer finds it entertaining. This is because the presentation itself is entertaining, with sensational elements added to it."
