—Sahad Amin—

To make the media independent, strong, and objective, the interim government issued a notification on November 18, forming an 11-member Media Reform Commission. Senior journalist Kamal Ahmed was appointed as the head of the commission.

The Media Reform Commission has stated that a uniform minimum salary should be determined for all journalists at the beginning of their permanent employment, equal to the basic salary of a first-class gazetted officer in the government.

Mainstream media in Bangladesh operates at a loss. Except for a few organizations, most do not generate profit. Media houses have essentially become spokespersons for large corporations. Many big companies establish media outlets to manage their marketing and suppress controversial issues related to their business. When controversies arise, these companies handle the situation with the help of media heads. Under the auspices of an authoritarian government, journalism in Bangladesh eventually became a competition to see who can suppress sensitive issues most effectively.

Let me be blunt: The proposal to set the salary scale for journalists equal to that of first-class gazetted officers is nothing but a fantasy. While this is great news for journalists, its implementation is nearly impossible. The level and layers of reforms required to achieve this are so extensive that it would be unfeasible to implement them within the next five to 10 years. To accomplish this, media literacy must be spread among the public, and journalists must receive regular training. They need to be properly educated in journalism.

From personal experience, I have observed that students from non-journalism departments who enter the profession tend to focus more on financial gain than on the core principles of journalism. They are skilled at financial dealings and often engage in unethical practices. On the other hand, individuals who uphold journalistic ethics become disinterested when they realize how unethical the industry has become and eventually shift to other communication-related fields. This allows unethical individuals to dominate journalism.

As long as ethical values are not instilled in individuals, it is impossible to produce good journalists. The system required to impart ethical journalism does not currently exist in our country. Perhaps the next generation can be educated on these ethical matters, but it could take 35 to 40 years to see any results. Even then, there is no guarantee that ethical journalists will emerge, because media independence is tied to political stability. The less political turmoil in a country, the more independent its media can be. However, due to the volatile political landscape in Bangladesh, many journalists turn to unethical practices in pursuit of financial gain. Traditional journalism is not enough to sustain a livelihood, so they resort to sensationalizing news to survive. Many journalists lack awareness of the power and impact of their words, focusing instead on personal financial gain.

When journalists start their careers, they often struggle financially. When they finally get the opportunity to earn, they go to extreme lengths to maximize their earnings. This transforms them from journalists into conspiracy theorists, devoid of ethical values. When someone prioritizes personal financial gain above all else, they begin to exploit their employees, seeking cheap labour. Such individuals understand that journalism is not the priority — promoting interests is.

Such media owners, driven by greed, are indifferent to employee well-being. They cut corners and prioritize their interests. In this scenario, expecting journalists to receive salaries equivalent to first-class officers is nothing but a dream.

Moreover, journalism is no longer confined to newspapers and television. It has become mobile-dependent, driven by Facebook and YouTube. Regulating journalism in the digital era is one of the biggest challenges. The Media Reform Commission has made a grave mistake by failing to address the lack of specific policies for online journalism. Without proper legal frameworks, journalism, as a profession, may cease to exist in Bangladesh. Unregulated digital journalism could make the media landscape even more chaotic.

Even the benefits that first-class gazetted officers receive are highly unlikely to be provided to journalists in Bangladesh anytime soon. The commission can suggest that journalists deserve such benefits, but in reality, these proposals are far from practical.

There is no clear policy in any media organization regarding job security. In Bangladesh, job security for journalists does not exist. A media owner can terminate any employee at any moment.

TO ENSURE JOB SECURITY, THE FOLLOWING MUST BE IMPLEMENTED:

• Clear terms on salary, benefits, and job protection
• Legal protection from censorship or retaliation
• Insurance, security training, and crisis support
• Adaptability in digital media, writing, and reporting
• Credibility to ensure long-term career stability
• Savings or alternative income sources for journalists

Until these measures are in place, discussing first-class officer salaries for journalists remains meaningless.

Unlike journalists, first-class government officers have job stability. They do not have the fear of sudden unemployment. They are also entitled to overtime pay, a concept unheard of in Bangladeshi journalism. There is no institution in Bangladesh that ensures such benefits for journalists.

An independent media commission must oversee and regulate these issues. Until a truly independent media commission is established, the chaotic state of journalism will persist.

This commission must conduct meetings, seminars, and workshops to train journalists.

Only by ensuring these reforms can we create a healthy journalistic environment. Until job security is guaranteed, ethical journalism cannot be established. And as long as ethical journalism is missing, journalists will never receive salaries comparable to first-class gazetted officers.