Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said, “The young journalists can play a vital role to contribute bringing young people’s agendas to the forefront of national concerns and policymakers. Young journalists are the artisans of change.”
He made the statement while speaking at the award-giving ceremony of Action Aid Young Journalist Media Award 2021 organised by Action Aid, a UK-based international non-profit development organization, at the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) auditorium onTopkhana Road in the capital on Sunday morning.
Hasan Mahmud said, “Journalists, news readers, and media house owners must focus on specific, emphatic, and concise journalism, and take responsibility for a sustainable media industry for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).”
He further said that with the third eye, a journalist can identify the community concerns and challenges for making effective solutions.
“There are many people in the society for whom no one thinks about, who cannot speak about their rights whereas journalists give them courage, dream, and raise voice about their rights,” he added.
He urged the next generation of young journalists to take the responsibility of carrying out quality reporting and news investigation.
He also called for organizing special pages for children in the newspapers as well as highlighting issues that the state, society, and government do not pay attention to.
Former Chief Information Commissioner and also the editor of the daily AjkerPatrika, Professor DrMdGolam Rahman, who chaired the event said, “All professions being profitable, but journalism is not based on profit only. Journalists must work responsibly in the society. Journalists are part of the productive force. They are the craftsmen of building a society.”
He further sad that ActionAid Bangladesh is encouraging the youth of the country in journalism which is a matter of great joy.
“The role of the youth in advancing our development is particularly significant,” he said.
At the same time, he called for highlighting the bad aspects of the society as well as the positive issues in journalism. Borhanul Haque Samrat, Senior News Editor of News24 channel, said that ActionAid Bangladesh has evaluated journalist from the city to the marginal level through this competition.
At the same time, he highlighted the need for journalists to keep an eye on the Young Leadership.
Nazmul Ahsan, Manager of ActionAid Bangladesh said, “We, from the inception, have been advocating for the rights of the marginalized people for social justice and facilitate the extensive engagement of
young people withcommunities to lead the progressive social movements.
An independent jury panel including A A MunirHasan, Head of Youth Programme, The Daily Prothom Alo; Borhanul Haque Shamrat, Senior News Editor, News24 and Dr Nazneen Ahmed, Country Economist at UNDP went through the reports and selected the winners.
Md Iqbal Hossain, Reporter of Bangladesh Television (BTV) for 'Journalism for promoting youth leadership for social transformation' category; Miftahul Zannat, Deputy Managing Editor of The Dhaka Apologue for 'Journalism for promoting youth responsive accountable public services' category and Md Sharful Alam, Senior Reporter of ATN Bangla for 'Journalism for promoting decent work and economic opportunities for young people' category were awarded for their excellent reports.
Babu Kamruzzaman, Staff Correspondent of News 24; Nilima Jahan, Reporter of the Daily Star; M Yousuf Ali, Jahangirnagar University Correspondent of the daily Jugantor; Satej Chakma, Chief Reporter of IPNEWS BD received fellowships at the function.
