Role of media

Journalists and newspapers have a duty to provide us with facts and the actual news. Unfortunately, corruption in our country has reached such a level that more often than not we have bad news. The Ahmadiyya group is being persecuted and the media has a responsibility to let us know the developments. The continual strikes in our country called by political parties are a reality that cannot be ignored. The existence of bribery and other forms of corruption are a day to day affair that when rated against other countries show us as one of the most corrupt nations.

However, the government has done nothing to improve the situation. We do not have a proper representation of Bangladesh anywhere. When US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Bangladesh is becoming "quite troubling", we did not see the government launch a factual yet effective media strategy to prove it otherwise. When Eliza Griswold wrote the article "The Next Islamist Revolution?" the citizens of our country were affronted but the government did nothing to address this issue. Articles in journals, magazines and newspapers of high circulation can only be negated by articles in media with greater coverage. The public relations of our country are such that it is poorly led.

India is one country to learn from in public relations. Everything they do and everything they say receive attention and not because of their sheer size but their ability to simply be heard. The riots in Gujarat received a lot of media attention but the country managed to steer attention elsewhere. The nuclear testing in India received a lot of media coverage but today India and the US have a nuclear treaty set up. We hardly see our leaders making meaningful state visits to other countries to strengthen our foreign policies.

It of course doesn't help to have members of the opposition party announce existence of extremism and fanaticism in our country in the western world when such things are feared just to receive attention from the media. Our political parties are so determined to rule that they are willing to ruin the country to achieve their own goals.

The media does not have to be the worst enemy, we simply have to learn how to make it our greatest ally.