Resources

This study explores the use and adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Bangladeshi newsrooms focusing on the associated policies and practices for ethical and responsible AI usage.
It reveals a noticeable disconnect between the potential and the practices of AI adoption in Bangladeshi newsrooms, offering a set of recommendations on how to enhance AI literacy, promote its ethical use, and support sustainable AI integration in Bangladeshi newsrooms.
The study employs a mixed method approach, incorporating a voluntary online survey with 53 journalists working in national level news media outlets, a focus group discussion with media managers and five key informant interviews with editors and experts.

AI Adoption in Bangladeshi Newsrooms 2024

A publication on investigative journalism containing world’s great investigations and story behind the story. Edited by famous investigative journalist Mark Lee Hunter, the book will be of great help to the reporters who go for deep investigations. It mentions investigation plan, strategy and procedure followed by the famous investigative journalists. This book is published under UNESCO’s journalism publication series. After huge responses from the readers of the earlier translation of journalist manual on story-based enquiry, Fojo and MRDI initiated to translate this book. We hope investigative journalists will benefit from it. Its copyright is protected by UNESCO. MRDI is responsible for its translation and editing. Iraj Ahmed translated the book, Shibabrata Barman reviewed the script and Partho Protim Das helped in the process.

অনুসন্ধানী সাংবাদিকতার কেসবুক (Investigative Journalism Casebook)

This study looks at the media's coverage of renewable energy and aims to understand how its significance is regarded in the mainstream newsrooms in order to ensure that the media plays an effective role in promoting a green transition. To get a comprehensive assessment of news coverage on renewable energy compared to the broader issues of climate change, environment, and non-renewable energy, it analysed 496 news pieces published over three years from 2020 to 2022 in ten leading media outlets. Out of the items analyzed, it was discovered that just 4% of the coverage focused on renewable energy, with 75% of the coverage coming from newspapers. To improve the caliber of the issue's coverage, it suggests creating a pool of journalists with pertinent experience and engaging news managers.

Media Coverage in Question: Shining Light in Renewables

This study analyses thematically selected news items published in mainstream news media of Bangladesh through a gender-equality and gender-sensitivity lens. It tries to find baseline practices and trends of coverage concerning women and people of non-binary genders. The study scanned contents of selected newspaper, television bulletin and online news portal. It sampled all news items, which featured or were created by female and non-binary genders especially hijra, a transgender and intersex community; or covered their perspectives. A minor proportion was selected for excluding them, even when they were essential stakeholders.

Women and Hijras in Bangladeshi News Media

To understand how gender-equality concerns are integrated into the media-related regulations, policies and self-regulatory frameworks in Bangladesh, MRDI carried out this study on gender equality and media regulation. It tries to find ways that can help increase freedom of expression for the people experiencing inequality because of their gender status, without compromising media freedom and independence guaranteed by Bangladesh constitution. The study is expected to help policy-makers, regulators and media houses formulate norms that will create an enabling environment in the media industry, free from all kind of discrimination.

Gender Equality and Media Regulation Study Bangladesh

Over the last decade, Bangladesh news audiences have experienced an increasingly complex environment that has undermined news media trust. The increased competition and the shift to digital media and digital revenue models has steadily undermined the business model for media. Added to this already difficult environment, Bangladesh has experienced an outbreak of “fake news” providers aggravated to “infodemic” proportions by the disinformation associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand the factors undermining confidence in Bangladesh’s news media, MRDI has commissioned a series of reports looking at media literacy, media viability and economics. This national survey of media trust among Bangladesh’s news consumers is an important addition to this effort.

Trust, but Verify: Factors affecting media trust in Bangladesh

Bangladesh' news media industry faces two scenarios in general: Stagnation and Leadership. Stagnation is when the audience loses interest in news media and opts for digital platforms instead. Leadership, on the other hand is when keeping the large and evolving audience, the news media adapts itself in a healthy way. This report explores five factors ranging from audience to advertising in the news industry.

Leadership or stagnation: The future of media viability in Bangladesh

The government of Bangladesh with the help of UNDESA has come forward to help journalists in their research by making necessary data more available and accessible. This report aims to educate journalists on open data and data journalism with extensive research findings.

Open data country report

Although media literacy is yet a new concept in Bangladesh, MRDI, with the help of UNICEF, has conducted research to assess the level of news literacy people have. News literacy is an important skill to have, because it not only makes a more critical news audience but on a broader scale, it may also work as a catalyst for change by providing correct information to readers.

News literacy in Bangladesh national survey

The media and CSOs are undoubtedly two interrelated institutions of our society that share similar interests and visions on a broader scale. In this report MRDI compiles results from fruitful interactive meetings it organized at three districts, bringing together delegates from both local media and CSOs to talk about their common challenges and come up with ways to overcome those challenges.

Media-CSO collaboration: old allies, new challenges

With the help of Manusher Jonno Foundation's generous cooperation, MRDI has gone through extensive workshops, roundtables and a national forum to bridge corporate sector with the media for promoting good governance. The deep conversations brought out topics such as media organisations' limitation in covering corporate issues and on the other hand the business houses' lack of effective communication with the media.

Media and the corporate sector for good governance

The project assesses the ethical adherence in children-centric media reports and further addresses its limitations to make journalists aware and educate them through a training programme to improve their principles of news coverage. The study finds that little space and time are allotted for children, amounting to only 3% or less of total news coverage. However, on a positive note, media outlets covered daily events and issues regarding children in a fairly broad scale. The absence of covering children’s issues in depth was found more predominant in TV than in newspaper, while most of the news of children revolved around deaths.

Baseline study: children in Bangladesh news media-baseline

This report analyses earlier findings to explore the impacts of inappropriate media content on children. It began on a premise that journalists have a key role in ensuring the wellbeing of children and avoid potential harm from news consumption. It finds a lack of planned focus and subsequently lack of news coverage about children, the study further records that while capacity development of journalists is crucial, it is not enough. Further support from top management and editorial policy-making is required.

Follow-up study: children in Bangladesh news media

This report analyses the findings of previous two surveys on child-centric news contents to assess the trend of coverage and its ethical standards. Like the previous surveys it finds a lack of planned focus, empathy and thought towards child-safety and insufficient depth in news coverage. However isolated or sporadic they might seem, there were some positive changes from 2009-2013. While the baseline study aimed at designing a training module for journalists, the two follow-ups focus on indicating further steps to ensure ethical journalism, on and for children.

Second follow-up: children in Bangladesh news media

This study finds an inadequate media coverage of the parliamentary standing committee meetings which reviews their corresponding sectors, policy issues, irregularities and suggest corrective measures. This partial coverage brought many important issues to the surface and ensured the public are aware of the meetings. However, the media sometimes failed to cover or focus on crucial issues due to ignorance and misreporting, while some reports lacked clarity. MPs believe media should be allowed at the meetings in order to be relevant to the public and invite civilians to make them more participatory and meaningful.

JS bodies under media scanner

Regarded as a people’s law, enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2009 is considered a landmark in Bangladesh’s legislation and regulations. The study finds out many comprehensive advantages and potentials of the RTI Act. It has guided journalists to collect information from the authority and produce in-depth investigative reports, especially the sensitive ones. However, major challenges this RTI Act poses on journalists are, lengthy procedure and non-cooperative attitude of government officials. Some suggestions to improve the situation include but is not limited to setting up separate RTI wings, in-house training for journalists, etc.

How the Bangladeshi media use the RTI act for free and qualitative reporting

Although the concept of news literacy as an academic term is rather new in Bangladesh, it is obvious that the audience have some sort of awareness on and understanding of news and media. This level of awareness and understanding needs to be assessed for designing a programme on developing news literacy. To do that, MRDI implemented a project in partnership with UNICEF, which included a situation assessment of news literacy standards. This assessment study aimed to ascertain existing situation of news literacy and the grasp of journalistic ethics of readers with particular focus on young people and generate recommendations for improvement.

News literacy: people’s perception

Community radios in northern and eastern regions of Bangladesh

Community radios in southern and western regions of Bangladesh

Media is well recognized as an agenda setter for the public. Hence, this paper has tried to find out whether newspapers in Bangladesh have any influence on policy formulation, revision and improvement in respect to investment climate. Reviewing two Bengali and two English newspapers for three years, MRDI found that newspapers have strong interest in policy related issues. Still the relationship between newspapers’ role and policy direction is not very strong. So, this paper endeavors to find the answer to one basic question: Why media matters.

Media influence on public policy in Bangladesh: investment climate perspective

Assessment study- how to best change tobacco control policies in Bangladesh

Needs assessment study on media capacity building in disaster reporting

Media content analysis on nutrition

Media content analysis on population movement in Bangladesh

Research report- Dhakas thought of the day

The year 2019 was marked for completing ten years of enactment of the Right to Information (RTI) Act. Need for stocktaking of the implementation status of the act was strongly felt. It is out of this felt need that a national survey was commissioned by the World Bank a follow-up that was implemented by a consortium comprised of Manusher Jonno Foundation, MRDI and a leading survey company. The objective of the survey was to take an unbiased account of the current status of implementation of the RTI Act that would eventually enable policymakers and RTI activists to undertake future RTI interventions. The survey involved providers and seekers of information, media, CSOs, RTI activists and experts in the process.

RTI national survey 2019

MRDI conducted a survey to assess the knowledge of RTI Act among the youth, and their perception about its use to access information required to solve their individual problems and those of their country. This survey looks at the concerns of the youth that they think affect their potential as a person, as a social being and as a citizen of a nation. It also explores the role of information in addressing the concerns of the youth and offers some solutions from the recommendations of the youth and experts who work in this field.

Information to empower youth (survey report 2020)

The National Portal of Bangladesh connects 25,000 websites and 42,000 government offices and helps citizens access information. The district portals face more challenges than the national portals because they not only serve the local citizens in different locations, but also deal with the local governments and public administration. Following three consecutive assessments conducted for the ministries with support of World Bank on proactive disclosure, MRDI carried out a study aiming to identify the level of information disclosure by the district portals and add some recommendations to improve their performance. This report is a compilation of the findings and recommendations of the study.

Proactive disclosure assessment report: district portal 2018

As owners of all powers of the state, people have the right of access to all information. To ensure this right of the citizens, Right to Information Act was passed by the parliament in 2009 which makes it mandatory for the authorities to disclose information sought by citizens. While Article 4 of the Act imposes compulsion of disclosure, Article 7 makes some exemption to it. The Article mentions some areas and criteria, information on which are not mandatory to be disclosed. But it has been observed that knowingly or unknowingly, this Article has been misused or wrongly used, thus RTI applicants getting deprived of information.
To make a deeper analysis of the Article, MRDI conducted a perception survey that tried to find its scope, relevance, overlap or conflicting issues and need for expanding or reducing areas of exemption. Methodologies including key informant interview, focus group discussion, divisional workshop and national seminar were applied in conducting the survey. Participants of these interactions shared their perception and made their comments. The survey chalked out a set of recommendations on the basis of the responses, keeping the spirit of the Act in mind. This publication is a compilation of the findings, comments, and recommendations of the survey.

Report perception survey on section 7 of RTIA

Citizens’ access to information in South Asia- diagnostic analysis- Bangladesh chapter

Most of the South Asian countries enacted Right to Information laws during first decade of the century. This Regional Synthesis Report brings together information collected through Country Diagnostic Studies (CDS) conducted by The Asia Foundation and civil society organisations in several South Asian countries including MRDI in Bangladesh. The CDS analyses the state of people’s access to information, and the implementation of RTI legislation in these countries.

Citizens’ access to information in South Asia: Regional synthesis report

Baseline survey report: Promoting citizens’ access to information project

This is a publication on perception of the grassroots people and concepts of stakeholders on Right to Information Act. Perception of different stakeholders generated from roundtables organized at divisional towns. These discussions covered general awareness on the act, perception about the Information Commission, strengths and weaknesses of the RTI Act, challenges at the demand and supply sides in implementing the act, actions and standard criteria for the implementation of this right, incidents and duties of application of this law have also been discussed. Moreover, strength and limitations of this law, challenges to implement it have also been focused here.

তথ্য অধিকার আইন: তৃণমূলের কন্ঠস্বর ( RTI voice of the grassroots- summary of keynote paper in national seminar ‘RTI: How to move forward’ bangla)

Waiting for change
Video: The water we want
Video: Living with Erosion

Waiting for change

Impact assessment of the CSR fund usage by banks

Support to meritorious students

Video: We want opportunity

Support to meritorious students

Livelihood programme for poor women
Video: Story of Basatpur

Livelihood programme for poor women

Video: We want opportunity

Skills development training centre

Video: Saint Martin in Peril

Cleaning up of saint martin coral island

Video: School Blues

School infrastructure development programme

Video: Against all odds

Health facilities for the Bawali and Fisherman community of the Sunderbands

The once stateless: Quick assessment survey on the needs of people of former enclaves in Bangladesh

This is research report which was conducted as a pre-design study for a TV programme on mainstream Muslims under the British High Commission’s Engaging with the Islamic World programme. The study aimed at understanding the attitude and mindset of young people regarding development, education, human rights, democracy and peace in relation to Islamic values and thoughts. This study helped make the programme more acceptable to the viewers and above controversy.

Understanding youth mindset on social values, peace, development, democracy and human rights

Conducted as a pre-design study for a TV programme, the research aimed at identifying the attitude of youth towards the country, its people, and systems; identifying issues for discussion on a TV programme called Amar Bangladesh (My Bangladesh), and collecting views of youth on design and structure of the programme. The goal was to generate dialogues on mainstream values in an entertaining way in order to contribute to developing a Bangladesh that counters the extremist narrative.

Mainstreaming youth values to counter the extremist narrative

Study report: Communication strategy to build mass awareness on technical and vocational education and training

RTI voice of the grassroots english (summary of keynote paper in national seminar ‘RTI: How to move forward’)

Keynote Paper- Ensuring Implementation of RTI Following Pro Poor Approach: Role and Potential of Media

Superabundance of information delivered through traditional media outlets and social media platforms has wide opened the flow of misinformation and disinformation. Distinguishing between fake and fact has become too difficult for the news consumers and the news providers as well who depend on sources for gathering news. So, fact checking, skill is now an important matter for news consumption and production. This fact checking and verification handbook of MRDI written in simple terms will not only will help news media professionals and professional fact checkers, but also the common readers.

ফ্যাক্ট চেকিং ও ভেরিফিকেশন হ্যান্ডবুক (Fact checking and verification handbook)

‘Story based enquiry: A manual for investigative journalists’
This manual has been globally appreciated by investigative journalists. It is an extensive guidance written by famous investigative journalist Mark Lee Hunter. It is a UNESCO funded manual which includes research, writing, quality assessment and promotion etc. through case studies.
Initiated by Fojo Media Institute and MRDI, for a better learning experience for the investigative reporters this valuable and significant manual has been translated into Bangla with the permission from open access policy. Its copyright is protected by UNESCO. MRDI is responsible for the quality of translation. The manual has been translated by Iraj Ahmed.

স্টোরি-নির্ভর অনুসন্ধান: অনুসন্ধানী সাংবাদিকদের জন্য ম্যানুয়াল (Story-Based Inquiry: a Manual for Investigative Journalists)

The Investigative Journalism Manual (IJM) is a project by Conrad-Ade-Navar Stiftung (KAS). Watchdog is designed to spread journalism around the world by KAS Media Program Asia, Singapore and in collaboration with KAS Media Program Southeast Europe, Sofia, Bulgaria. The manual is constantly updated, and at the same time attempts are being made to translate it into as many languages as possible.

কীভাবে হবেন জনগণের কন্ঠস্বর (Investigative journalism manual in bangla)

Using RTI Act as an evidence-based source of information is popular among journalists across the world. But the practice is very limited in Bangladesh. The book elaborates what investigative journalism entails, how the Right to Information Act 2009 can be of use in investigative journalism, how journalists can seek information from the appropriate authorities, what they can do if information is not given, how much time it will take to get information they require, and such other practical issues. The book also showcases instances where national and international journalists have utilized this Act and have benefitted from it.

অনুসন্ধানী সাংবাদিকতায় “তথ্য অধিকার আইন” (Use of RTI act in investigative journalism)

Journalism is a profession in which the security risk of the journalist remains largely neglected. Journalists have always been at the frontline in every societal and political upheaval to bring news to the citizens. Preparedness to avoid and address the risks of security is essential for the journalists in accomplishing their responsibilities. The book has been published to help journalists ensure their safety. The publication covers different aspects of physical, digital and legal security and also keeping safe during disaster reporting. It also discusses on the responsibilities of media houses in identifying and addressing security risks of their reporters. A team of journalists are the authors of the book.

সাংবাদিকতায় নিরাপত্তা ও সুরক্ষা (Safety & security of journalist)

The publication addresses the responsibilities of media and journalists in a particular area. It focuses on how journalists working in different media outlets will report on elections, what they need to keep in mind during polls reporting, how ethics are violated and how to maintain ethical the standards of journalism. The book analyzes reports published in media during the national polls of 2008 and 2014 to discuss the theoretical knowledge in practical aspect.

বস্তুনিষ্ঠ নির্বাচন সাংবাদিকতা (Objective election reporting)

This handbook defines some ethical guidelines for journalists and mentions key elements which are essential for reporting on issues involving/affecting children. The necessity of ethics and why to follow it, ethical responsibilities of journalists and relationship between journalism and children have been depicted elaborately here. The code of conduct and guidelines for journalists in this handbook are based on the notion that ethics should come from a place of responsibility, conscience, and self-regulation - not a place of legality. MRDI published the handbook with the support of UNICEF.

রিপোর্টারের জন্য নীতি-নৈতিকতা: প্রসঙ্গ শিশু (Ethical Reporting on and for children Handbook for journalist)

There is a definite structure of how the government collects revenue and how that money is spent. The issues of budget, revenue collection, revenue expenditure, development expenditure, auditing collectively constitute public fund management. Media reporters need knowledge on these specific issues to produce in-depth report on public fund management. MRDI has published this handbook to help the reporters.

রিপোর্টিং হ্যান্ডবুক: সরকারি তহবিল ব্যবস্থাপনা (Reporting handbook: public fund management)

This handbook intends to explore the way to bridge the gap between journalist and ethnic minorities of the country. First part of the handbook is meant for the journalists, food for thought and some suggestions for them. The second part focuses on ethnic people, their community, culture, identity, problems and deprivations. At the end, some important data and information on ethnic communities, their way of life, festivals have been provided. The handbook is expected to help journalists report on these deprived communities.

ক্ষুদ্র জাতিসত্তার খবর জানানো (Handbook for reporting on indigenous people)

Disaster reporting, its features, variation, and methodology is not much discussed in Bangladeshi journalism, which is why journalists and field reporters often lack expertise in this certain field. This book will work as a study aid, which will provide an overview on how reporters can present the overall context of any disaster and its management.

দুর্যোগের মুখোমুখি: সাংবাদিকের করণীয় Handbook on disaster reporting

In a country where malnutrition is a leading cause behind child mortality, it is essential that media brings this issue to light and advocate awareness. This handbook provides a guide to terminology and understanding related to nutrition. This book offers a selection of media reports as examples, and advocates the role of journalists reporting on nutrition.

রিপোর্টিং হ্যান্ডবুক: পুষ্টি সন্ধান (Reporting handbook: Covering Nutrition- Bangla)

This handbook is published to help journalist gather information using RTI Act. It contains features and provisions of the act, strength and limitations of RTI Act 2009, procedure of seeking information using the act. This book is particularly useful for producing in-depth and investigative reports.

সাংবাদিকতায় তথ্য অধিকার আইন (RTI handbook for journalist)

রিপোর্টারের জন্য এমডিজি (MDG for reporters)

This handbook is meant to be an introduction and guideline to economic, ad ministerial and media jargons related to audit and inspection. The glossary consists of two sections, which has important jargons explained in English and Bengali, and Bengali meaning and synonyms of English words, respectively. This book has been compiled with an aim to make audit reports more comprehensible.

রিপোর্টারের জন্য: অডিট শব্দকোষ (Audit Glossary for reporter)

This publication contains experience of journalists in using RTI Act for gathering information for their reports. Three journalists narrated in detail their experiences in information gathering using the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The booklet contains English and Bangla versions of these write-ups. The journalists participated in a capacity building programme on how to use RTI in producing investigative reports. MRDI organized the progragrmme in three media houses with the support of World Bank Institute.

তথ্য অধিকার আইন: সাংবাদিকের অভিজ্ঞতা (Right to information act: journalist experience)

This guidebook has been created keeping the journalists in mind who have been covering Covid-19 pandemic. Useful suggestions and tools collected from national and global sources to help the field journalists keep safe, gather and verify information have been compiled in the guidebook. Necessary links have also been attached for further reading.

কোভিড-১৯ রিপোর্টিং গাইড (Reporting guide on COVID-19)

তথ্য অধিকার আইন: কাঠামো ও প্রয়োগ (Right to information Act: Structure and Application Bangla)

The Right to Information Act, 2009 shines as a milestone in the path of Bangladesh’s democracy. This was enacted to empower the people and to ensure transparency and accountability in the government, autonomous and non-government and foreign aided organizations. This law recognizes the people’s right to obtain information. It also asks the authorities to preserve and disclose all kinds of information. This publication reviews some important parts of the act along with relevant examples. It aims to give conceptual direction to information providers and seekers, thus addressing both demand and supply aspects of information. The book has been published with the support of USAID-PROGATI.

Right to information Act: Structure and Application (English)

জনসংযোগ হ্যান্ডবুক (Public Relations Bangla)

Public relations are an essential part of an organization which assists in developing effective relations with clients and improves the environment in workplace. MRDI, along with Manusher Jonno Foundation has produced this book to help PR practitioners with their professional and communicative skills to enhance their capability to deal with the media more efficiently. This handbook based on the analysis of the experiences of PR professionals and their strategic needs.

Public Relations (English)

Gender Charter of Commitment for News Media (সংবাদমাধ্যমে জেন্ডার-বিষয়ক অঙ্গীকার সনদ)

সংবাদমাধ্যমে জেন্ডার-বিষয়ক অঙ্গীকার সনদ (Gender Charter of Commitment for News Media)

This booklet of guidelines is meant for journalists, and aspiring journalists. This is also for the media managers and editors. The guidelines aim to inspire thoughts and creative actions for upholding journalism ethics and ensuring gender-equality and gender-sensitivity in journalism.

সাংবাদিকতার নীতিনৈতিকতার দিগন্তে জেন্ডার (Gender in the context of journalism ethics)

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