DHAKA: Readers can play an effective role in making mass media more ethical and responsible through better understanding of news and its critical analysis.

The media too has a responsibility to help the readers acquire such ‘news literacy’ skills.

This view was expressed at a discussion on “News Literacy and Ethics” organized by Management and Resources Development Initiative (MRDI) in partnership with UNICEF, Bangladesh in city on Sunday (June 5).

The -exchange meeting recommended the formation of readers’ forums; training of their members; monitoring of mass media by the forums; dialogue among readers’ and media organizations; opportunities for the readers to give their opinion; formation of on-line platforms and the inclusion of news literacy in school curriculum, said a press release.

Chairman of National Human Rights Commission Prof. Dr. Mizanur Rahman spoke at the meeting as the chief guest where, Planning and Development of MRDI Adviser Shahid Hossain presented the key-note paper.

In the key-note paper M Shahid Hossain stressed the need for increasing readers’ ability to better understand and analyze news reports.

He said this way readers and listeners can help improve quality and ethical standards of news. In this age of stiff competition among news providers it is important that the mass media fulfill its responsibility to the readers.

Chief Guest Dr. Mizanur Rahman news literacy empowers the readers with the skill to correctly understand and judge a news report. Development of such skills among the readers can also help the mass media to respond to the readers’ growing demand for objective, accurate and ethically-correct news and the mass media can thus achieve excellence in its reporting.

Mizanur Rahman emphasized the need for teaching school children about values, morality and ethics.

“Children will understand the ethical practices of the media better if they themselves are taught better about ethics and values helping the nation get a news-literate generation,” he added.

MRDI Executive Director Hasibur Rahman in his welcome speech said ‘news literacy and news ethics are interlinked. Journalists will be more sensitive about ethical aspects of their reports when readers are able to make a critical analysis of news’.

Former CEO of INFOCUS Farid Hossain summarized the discussions and said young readers can influence the media in becoming more ethically responsible.

The discussion was part of study MRDI is conducting nationwide to judge readers’ sense of news literacy and ethics under a project with UNICEF, Bangladesh.

The view-exchange meeting was part of two such meetings with divisional representation of news leaders, university teachers, civil society and NGO representatives under the program.

BDST: 2154 HRS, JUN 05, 2016
BD/RR