Yousuf Sadiq, KU 

Mahfuz Anam, Editor of The Daily Star, said,"Strong media cannot be built without major investments, but those investments create new risks to freedom. Therefore, the biggest challenge for the media is to simultaneously survive economically and maintain editorial independence."

"We will bring back journalism based on people's values. This is one of the ways to eliminate the resentment people have towards the media. One of the demands of institutional democracy is freedom of the media."He said this while speaking as the main speaker at a seminar titled 'Media in Contemporary Context' at the conference room of Khulna University's Central Research Laboratory at 11 am on Saturday.The seminar titled 'Media in Contemporary Context' was organized by the Khulna University Journalists Association.

Mahfuz Anam said, "In a democratic state system, the independence of the media and the judiciary is one of the main foundations of justice, accountability and the maintenance of the balance of power. When an ordinary citizen approaches the court to protect his rights, the impartiality of the judiciary becomes his biggest hope. Similarly, the media raises the voice of the common people and makes the society aware against the abuse of power, irregularities and discrimination."

He added, “Although it is risky to expose the truth against those in power, the media has to fulfill that responsibility; because it is a constitutionally protected institution of democracy. However, the biggest challenge to media freedom is its economic structure. Government-dependent funding carries the risk of political influence, while over-reliance on corporate investment can undermine editorial independence. Therefore, just as building a strong media requires large investments, it is also very important to maintain a balance between editorial independence and economic viability.”

The chief guest at the seminar was the university's esteemed treasurer, Prof Dr. Md. Nurunnabi. In his speech as the chief guest, he said, "The media is one of the main means of democracy, accountability and truth-telling in a country. Independent and responsible journalism plays an important role in establishing justice in society and protecting human rights. However, along with independence, it is equally important to maintain the ethics, objectivity and professionalism of journalism."

In his speech as a special guest, Assistant Professor Majidul Islam, Head of the Mass Communication and Journalism Discipline (Current Responsibilities), said, "The freedom of the media always depends on the context. In the present era, responsible and objective journalism has become essential to provide accurate information to the society. Such an arrangement is highly commendable to inspire the young generation towards truthful and ethical journalism."

The seminar was presided over by the newly elected president of Khulna University Journalists Association, Md. Ibrahim Khalil. Journalists, along with students from various disciplines of the university, participated in the seminar.