Media Reform Commission submits report to CA Yunus

The Media Reform Commission has handed in its report to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, setting out 20 recommendations aimed at reshaping the sector.

The commission members submitted the report at the State Guest House Jamuna on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, journalist Kamal Ahmed, the head of the commission, said: "Journalists face various security threats, and it is the state's responsibility to protect them. We have recommended enacting laws if necessary to ensure their safety."

On Sept 11 last year, the chief advisor announced the formation of commissions to reform the electoral system, police administration, judiciary, Anti-Corruption Commission, public administration, and the Constitution as part of efforts to restructure state machinery. Later, on Oct 17, the interim government's Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Advisor Syeda Rizwana Hasan announced plans to form commissions in four more sectors, including health and media.

The nine-strong media reform panel also consists of Dhaka University's Prof Gitiara Nasreen, The Financial Express Editor Shamsul Huq Zahid as the representative of the Editors’ Council, Newspaper Owners Association of Bangladesh (NOWAB) Secretary Akhter Hossain Khan, Association of Television Owners (ATCO) representative and former Jatiya Press Club general secretary Syed Abdal Ahmed, Jamuna Television CEO and Broadcast Journalist Center Trustee Fahim Ahmed, Media Support Network Convener and journalist Jimmy Amir, The Daily Star Bogura District Correspondent Mostofa Sabuj, The Business Standard Deputy Editor Titu Datta Gupta, and Abdullah Al Mamun as the student representative.

Addressing the current state of the media, Kamal said: “It didn't happen overnight. It is the result of years of changes and practices. Over time, many of these practices deteriorated, pushing the media into a crisis that threatens press freedom and journalists’ independence.”

“That’s why we reviewed the history of the media to learn from past mistakes. We looked at where things went wrong and explored possible solutions,” he added.

He explained that the commission identified the core problems faced by media outlets, journalists, and the profession itself and then made recommendations accordingly.

"When media ownership is concentrated in the hands of a few, it often ends up serving personal, family, or group interests. One way to address this is to turn large and medium-sized media houses into publicly listed companies. That’s why we’ve recommended this step," Kamal said.

"There’s a serious question about whether the ownership of TV channels and major newspapers truly reflects public interest. These owners face no accountability. While the media demands accountability from politicians and bureaucrats, who holds the media itself accountable? Newspapers accuse each other’s owners, but is that really about public interest—or just personal gain?"

Kamal pointed out that many countries have laws regulating media ownership. "In the US, cross-ownership is prohibited -- someone who owns a TV channel cannot own a newspaper. India is considering a similar law. In Indonesia, media companies must be registered as corporations and publicly listed. This ensures they publish audited reports and share profits with employees."

"We examined newspapers, TV channels, online portals, and radio. Each sector has its own challenges, but journalists face the same core problems across the board. Whether in TV or print, the struggles of journalists are similar. Our goal was to identify these issues and find ways to address them."

He stressed that one of the major problems is the inflow of black money into the media industry. "Ownership itself has become questionable. We don’t know how many obtained licenses through open, transparent, and competitive processes—because, frankly, there weren’t any. Online portals were registered behind closed doors, through political connections or backroom deals."

"Even after a change in government, media ownership remained the same. Instead, owners replaced newsroom leadership to align with whichever political force seemed to be rising. Yet no one ever asked these owners to disclose their sources of investment -- whether the money was clean or not. TV licences were granted based on political loyalty, not public interest."

Kamal added that the commission recommended setting journalists’ minimum salary equivalent to the 9th-grade government pay scale, with a one-year apprenticeship period.

He also highlighted the issue of inflated circulation numbers. "According to the Department of Films and Publications, newspapers in Dhaka claim daily sales of 15.1 million copies. But in reality, it’s barely over a million. That means the figures are vastly inflated just to secure government advertisements."

Lastly, Kamal said the commission recommended making a Bachelor’s degree the minimum qualification to enter journalism. Many of these recommendations could be implemented directly through executive orders, according to him.