Staff Correspondent:

The Media Reform Commission has recommended setting a unified minimum salary at the start of permanent employment for journalists across the country, which should be equivalent to the basic salary of a government first-class gazetted officer.

On Saturday at noon, the Media Reform Commission submitted its report to the Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus. The report includes recommendations regarding the financial security and labour laws for journalists.

The report states that in the backdrop of the overwhelming number of media outlets and the country’s growing educated unemployment, salaries and allowances in the journalism profession are increasingly decreasing or becoming uncertain.

The trend of contract-based appointments is on the rise, which excludes various entitled allowances and makes job security uncertain.

Without life and livelihood security, the risk of compromise and corruption in journalism increases, which is against objective and independent journalism. Such uncertainty encourages or forces political and vested-interest groups to become appeasing.

To resolve this situation, the following measures are necessary for all journalists and other media workers in newspapers, television channels, radio, and online media:

1. No media outlet should appoint a journalist on temporary, permanent, or contract basis without a letter of appointment and an ID card with a photograph and without paying a salary.
2. The probationary period for journalists should not exceed one year. A respectable probationary allowance should be provided during this period.
3. A unified minimum salary should be set for journalists starting permanent employment across the country, which will be equal to the basic salary of a government first-class gazetted officer. Due to the high cost of living in Dhaka, journalists working in Dhaka should receive a “Dhaka allowance” along with their basic salary. Journalists working outside Dhaka will be promoted to staff correspondent after working as a reporter (retainer) for three years. The need to eliminate the salary and status disparity for journalists outside Dhaka has been highlighted in the first Press Commission report as well.
4. In addition to the basic salary, journalists should be entitled to house rent, travel allowances, medical allowances, festival allowances equivalent to the basic salary, risk allowances (where applicable), phone bills, internet bills, provident fund, and pension or gratuity.
5. At the beginning of each year, journalists’ salaries should be increased in line with the average inflation rate of the previous year. The other allowances should be re-determined every two years, adjusting for inflation.
6. Separate hiring guidelines and a minimum salary should be set for campus journalists. No one should be made to work without payment.
7. Journalists should not be assigned to supervise circulation or collect advertisements in any media outlet.
8. To ensure the safety and rights of journalists and media workers in the workplace, the full implementation of the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Services) Act, 1973, and labor laws must be ensured.
9. Media institutions should provide photographers or video journalists with the necessary equipment.
10. Media institutions should ensure the provision of safety gear and training for journalists where applicable. Legal assistance should be provided by the institution in resolving any case related to their profession.
11. The salary and allowances of media employees (who are not journalists) should be increased proportionally (according to the ratio) with the salary and allowances of journalists.

It is worth mentioning that, with the aim of making the media independent, strong, and objective, the government issued a gazette notification on November 18 to form the 11-member Media Reform Commission, which was led by senior journalist Kamal Ahmed.