Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday urged the United Nations to develop an effective mechanism to fight disinformation and support media maintaining ethical standards.
The chief adviser made the call when Head of Office and UNESCO Representative to Bangladesh Susan Vize and Senior Project Officer, Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists Section, UNESCO, Mehdi Benchelah visited Yunus at state guest house Jamuna.
The UNESCO officials met the Yunus ahead of the launching of a report titled “An Assessment of Bangladesh’s Media Landscape: Focusing on Free, Independent and Pluralistic Media”, jointly prepared by UNDP and UNESCO.
“We are really looking forward to the report,” said the chief adviser.
“Our main problem is disinformation, fake news … Some of this disinformation is spread by people living outside; some local people are involved. It’s a continuous bombardment,” he said.
Noting that mainstream media outlets are also a source of much disinformation alongside digital platforms, the chief adviser sought a UN role in the fight against its spread and said, “You just don’t talk with the government; you also talk with the media.”
The chief adviser stated that independent regulation is necessary, adding that, if a media outlet continues to spread disinformation, the outlet should be reminded that it is not trustworthy.
“You are the UN. Your words are very important,” he said. “We need your support.”
UNESCO Representative Susan Vize said that the report that it was launching Thursday would highlight the issue of self-regulation, among other things.
“The report is about what is working, what is not working, and the assessment holds important recommendations aligned with international standards. There would be a need to train officials, law enforcers, and the judiciary to better align their practices with this standard,” she said.
UNESCO Senior Project Officer Mehdi Benchelah said the report would also make some recommendations about journalists’ working conditions, which is a global concern, and the safety of female journalists in newsrooms.
Key government action can have a huge influence in these matters, he said.
The report is prepared under the framework of UNDP’s Strengthening Institutions, Policies and Services (SIPS) project and in alignment with UNESCO’s mandate to promote freedom of expression and media development, said the officials.