Five years’ experience must to be considered as journalist: Press Council chairman

Bangladesh Press Council chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq Nasim has said policy has been formulated after holding lengthy discussions with different organisations including journalist community about who would be called ‘journalists’ and what would be their eligibiliies.

It has been decided that a journalist doesn’t mean working journalist only. Rather, editors and publishers — all will fall under the purview of journalist.

He was speaking as the chief guest at a workshop on “Containing yellow journalism in mass media and objective journalism” at Sherpur Circuit House Auditorium in Sherpur district on Monday.

Nizamul Huq further said many have long been involved in journalism in the country, but most of them are non-graduates. They are either HSC or SSC passed. Even, there are journalists below these qualifications. But, they are very good in writing in the newspapers. So, they would also be considered as journalists. However, they will have to have five years’ experiences of journalism. In such a situation, it would not be possible to consider as journalists without the appointment letters from the news outlets concerned.

With Addtional Deputy Commissioner Md Muktadirul Ahmed in the chair, the workshop was also addressed by Bangladesh Press Council’s secretary (additional secretary) Shyamol Chandra Karmaker.