A consultation meeting- “Meet the Stakeholders” was held with the stakeholders at PIB auditorium on discussing future plan for promoting media literacy in Bangladesh. The objectives of the discussion were to share SACMID’s experience on implementation of media literacy project and to generate some innovative idea and prospective partnership from the stakeholders in the future initiative. Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) has collaborated SACMID in organizing the program under the support of Free Press Unlimited.Mr. A A M S Arefeen Siddique, former Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University and the Professor of Department of Mass Communication and Journalism in the same university was the chief guest of the program while Mr. Shaymol Dutta, Editor, Daily Bhorer Kagoj and Syed Ishtiaq Reza, CEO, GAZI Television Channel participated as special guests in the program. The consultation program was presided over by Mr. Shah Alamgir, Director General of PIB.
The stakeholders were invited in an open interactive session to express their views, opinion and idea regarding the future of media literacy initiative of SACMID and what would be their role. This session was started after a PowerPoint presentation by the Project Coordinator Afia Sultana, on what experiences SACMID has gained from implementation of its pilot phase of the project.
Mr. Joydeep Dey, Assistant Professor, Dhaka Teachers Training College has suggested to develop the capacity and skill of news analysis. Social Media has been wrongly used for propaganda by using our traditional beliefs and cultural emotions. Mr. Shaymol Dutta pointed the ever-expanding media landscape which is now almost impossible to differentiate the digital media and mass media. Therefore Media literacy should target the whole community, not the youth alone. Journalist Syed Ishtiaq Reza told the need for including professional journalists in media literacy interventions, since they are the institutional factors for opinion building in the society. In his discussion as the chief guest of the program Professor Arefeen Siddique termed media literacy as truth literacy. Media literacy should be introduced within the classroom and the students should know what truth is and what is fake in media products at the beginning of their life. Among others Mr. Sohrab Hosen (Joint Editor, Daily Prothom Alo), Sohel Haidar Chowdhury (General Secretary, Dhaka Union of Journalists), Syed Shukur Ali Shuva (Secretary, Dhaka Reporters Unity) , Khadiza Yasmin (NCTB), Rafiqul Islam Sujon (A2i), Ms. Durga Rani (Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board), Shahnaj Sharmin (Head of News, Nagorik TV), Tahmina Haque (Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dhaka University), representatives from UNICEF, BRAC, Move Foundation, school teacher and a secondary level student provided valuable opinion an idea during their discussions.
In his speech as the Chair of the consultation DG, PIB has assured to provide all sorts of supports in SACMID future interventions for introducing media literacy at educational institutions.
Syed Kamrul Hasan, Program Manager and Deputy Director gave thanks to all the participants. The consultation was moderated by media expert Mr. Minhazuddin (Rahat Minhaz), Lecturer, Mass Communication and Journalism Department, Jagannath University and a popular anchor Jamuna Television. A paper on media literacy in easy Bangla version (to provide a general understanding) has been distributed among the participants.
News Link: banglatribune.com
Schedule: Meet the Stakeholders Schedule