Nat’l interest should guide journos covering sensitive issues: Shariar Alam

Journalists must play a responsible role when it comes to covering sensitive issues concerning national interests, said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam.

"You will find a whole lot of issues in 365 days of the year. Of them, there will be some highly sensitive issues. … You will have to decide if those should get published," he said.

Shahriar Alam was addressing a seminar marking the silver jubilee of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB) as chief guest at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) yesterday.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen, former ambassador M Humayun Kabir, Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shyamal Datta, Dhaka University International Relations Department Chair Lailufar Yasmin, DCAB President Rezaul Karim Lotus and General Secretary Emrul Kayes were present at the seminar.

Journalists Sheikh Shahriar Zaman and Mir Mustafizur Rahman presented a paper on the role of journalists in diplomacy, while DCAB former presidents Raheed Ejaz and Pantho Rahman moderated the event.

Shahriar Alam lamented the lack of analytical articles on various foreign affairs including regional politics, Middle East and Europe in the media.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said diplomats put the national interest as their top priority when handling sensitive issues in diplomacy. He said the media also need to uphold the national interests while covering those issues.

Former Ambassador M Humayun Kabir said there is no scope for journalists to think that the common people don't understand much about what is happening around the world. The internet has given them access to these delicate matters. So, journalists need to study more as their credibility will be at stake, he added.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, who is in the UK, sent a video message congratulating the DCAB members on the occasion.

He said journalists need to be objective and factual in reporting, which will increase their acceptability.