Students urged to combat misinformation and propaganda online
State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Yasser Khan Choudhury has called upon students to remain vigilant against misinformation, disinformation and deliberate propaganda on social media.
“The government is working to promote fact-checking and prevent misinformation and disinformation. Students can also be involved in these efforts,” he said.
The state minister said this while exchanging views with a delegation of students of the Department of Media and Communication at North South University (NSU) at the ministry conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat.
Noting that social media has become an extremely powerful communication platform worldwide, Yasser said the government is working to prevent the spread of propaganda and false information through these platforms, as well as deliberate campaigns against Bangladesh.
At the same time, emphasis is being placed on ensuring that accurate information reaches the public, he added.
He said the government is making its strides to safeguard media freedom so that media outlets can operate independently while consultations are being held regularly with various journalists' organisations to further strengthen the media sector.
The state minister also announced an initiative to establish a training centre in collaboration with an international partner to enhance the professional skills of journalists and journalism students in the country.
He said discussions are underway with an internationally renowned foreign broadcasting organisation regarding the possibility of establishing such a training centre in Bangladesh.
If implemented, journalism students and working journalists will have the opportunity to receive long-term training lasting between three and six months, he added.
Instead of one or two-day training programmes, arrangements should be made for long-term, hands-on training in line with international standards, he said, adding that this would enhance the professional skills of Bangladeshi journalists and create opportunities for them to qualify for employment in international media organisations.
Sharing his professional experience, the state minister said before entering politics, he had worked in the IT and Broadcasting Department of the BBC in the United Kingdom.
His experience there had given him an understanding of the working methods and professional standards of international broadcasting organisations, he mentioned.
Yasser hoped young Bangladeshis would be able to reach important positions in both domestic and international media organisations.
He also expressed his optimism that young people, regardless of their chosen professions, would achieve success through their skills and qualifications and contribute to the country's development.
An NSU faculty member proposed involving the university's students and teachers in applied research in the media and journalism sectors.
The NSU teacher said the university's expertise could be utilised to conduct research on various challenges facing the media and journalism sectors and identify practical solutions.
The faculty member also expressed interest in working jointly with the ministry in this regard.
During the meeting, students shared their experiences of visiting various activities and facilities of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Press Information Department (PID).
They expressed satisfaction at having gained practical knowledge about media operations, news presentation, information gathering and broadcast management.
On behalf of the students, second-semester student Sijatul Muntaha said visiting the ministry and the Press Information Department had enabled them to learn about practical aspects of the media that could not be fully understood through classroom studies alone.
Such experiences would be helpful in their future professional careers, she added.
The students sought the ministry's cooperation in research, training and professional skills development in journalism and media studies.
Principle Information Officer Syed Abdal Ahmed, Information Ministry’s Additional Secretary Md Shah Alam and officials concerned were present at the meeting.
