Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, editor-in-chief of the daily Manab Zamin, said that the media trial not only tarnishes reputations but also has significant negative economic consequences.
He made the observation in an exclusive interview with the daily Bangladesh Pratidin yesterday (November 5) about the impact of media trials on the economy.
Chowdhury said that if a businessperson becomes the target of a media trial, it can destroy their business. It hinders both domestic and foreign investment and brings stagnation to the economy, causing widespread job losses. The media cannot avoid responsibility in this regard. Therefore, the media must exercise the utmost caution before publishing news. The media must uncover the facts.
He said those involved in money laundering, defaulting on loans, or engaging in looting money must face trial. However, media trials that harm individuals are undesirable.
An unhealthy competition in the media sometimes leads to publishing news without proper verification, and without considering the consequences of such reports, he opined.
“We had seen the negative impact of the media trial during 1/11. It led to a significant downturn in business and left many unemployed. Ultimately, most accusations against businesspeople were found baseless, but the damage caused to the overall economy by media trials was long-lasting.
Honest businessmen become panicked about such activities. They don’t show interest in any new ventures. Foreign investors withdraw their investment and new investment does not come in the country’s economy. A stagnation situation prevails in the economy. In this case, our media should also be careful in publishing news. The media's responsibility is to find out the real truth.”
bd-pratidin/GR
