News Network has initiated a project aimed at enhancing journalists’ awareness and skills in digital security, physical safety, and gender-sensitive reporting funded by UNESCO – IPDC. The project is designed in align with the principles and goals of the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. Its primary objective is to improve journalists’ understanding and abilities in both digital security and physical safety, creating a safer and more supportive environment for journalists and media workers in both conflict and non-conflict settings.

The project will target journalists, including reporters and media gatekeepers. Key activities will involve training of reporters and engaging media gatekeepers from regional and national print and broadcast media outlets. Approximately 105 journalists will be benefitted from the initiative, which will take place in four divisional headquarters — Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Rangpur.

Promoting Advocacy and Rights

Supported by: Counterpart International
Project period: 2023

News Network has signed a contract with the Counterpart International, aiming to improve the capacity of media people with a view to promoting advocacy and rights, particularly the issues related to good gov ernance, environmental pollution, urbanization and social inclusion of marginalized people. The programme, under the contract, will cover the capital city Dhaka and southern divisional city Khulna. Targeted beneficiaries will be mid-career journalists working for print and electronic media. The project, ‘Promoting Advocacy and Rights’ is funded by the USAID

The activities include making journalists aware of the programme and its impact, improving their understanding, professional ability and encouraging them to report on the issues. It will also help to increase CSOs engagement to promote and protect rights and effective public services through media reporting. Eventually, the beneficiary of the actions are the mass people. This will also contribute value to achieve the country’s sustainable development goals (SDGs); 11, 14, 15, 16. **

Greater Internet Freedom Project

Supported by Internews and cooperated by EngageMedia

Period: 2022-2023

News Network with the support of Internews and in cooperation with EngageMedia has launched a Greater Internet Freedom project

in Bangladesh. The project is a part of Internews three-year global initiative programme. The programme has been going on since September 2020 and funded by US Agency for International Development with a view to strengthening the internet freedom in fifty countries. Its aims are to enhance digital security for civil society and media organizations, engage citizens in internet governance debates, and promote human rights online. Activities of News Network project include advocacy, offline-online discussion and developing media reporting to strengthen internet freedom, skill development of media people on digital security.

Project period:2020
Supported by UNDP

News Network with funding assistance from UNDP has launched a project, ‘Capacity
Development of Media People for Promoting Tolerant and Inclusive Society’. The overall
objective of the initiative was to promote diversity for peace in Bangladesh society through
media reporting. 
The project was undertaken several initiatives with a view to improving the professional ability of the
media people particularly, journalists and potential young social media activists on project issues.
The beneficiaries were given a better understanding of the issues related to diversity and peace
including the impact of peaceful coexistence of all religious people and ethnic minorities and
tolerance for mankind and prosperity. About 80 media people participated in the training-
workshops.

Program for Promoting Digital and Physical Safety of Journalists

Project Period: 2020 –2021

Funded by: Internews

Journalists across the world are facing pressure and threats while covering news on conflict-sensitive issues. Journalists and media actors in Bangladesh are also not immune. They are
facing threats and risks from hackers, criminal groups, and religious extremists. Compounding
this increasingly hostile operational environment is a sector influenced by corporate ownership
and political allegiances, resulting in self-censorship of the individual journalist and editorial
levels. 
The rise of hacking risks, violence by extremist groups, and heightened state surveillance on
journalists and bloggers have created a sense of urgency for greater digital, physical,
psychosocial and legal security among journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders.
To face the challenges, Internews supported News Network to implement a project titled,
‘Program for Promoting Digital and Physical Safety of Journalists’ was launched in April 2020
and ended in March 2021, aimed at strengthening digital safety and physical security for
journalists and access to resources. The project activities included the Training of Journalists
Trainers (ToT) and trained journalists on digital and physical safety were implemented in
Dhaka, Chattogram, Sylhet, Khulna, and Barisal divisional headquarters.

Strengthening the Capacity of Journalists to Promote Freedom of Religion and Peace

Project period: 2019- 2020

News Network with the support of the High Commission of Canada to Bangladesh implemented a
project on strengthening the capacity of journalists to promote freedom of religion and peace.

The project beneficiaries were news reporters working from remote rural districts and local
media gatekeepers, including editors, executive editors, news editors, news-room editors of local
newspapers and online news portals. 

News Network sensitized media professionals on the important of religious freedom and peace
and improved their professional abilities. With the improved capacities, media professionals
keep continuing to publish quality reports to raise public awareness and effectively engagement of
relevant stakeholders in countering intolerance and ensuring peace in society.

Supporting Human Rights Defenders Working for Women’s and Girls’ Rights in Bangladesh

Project period: 2018-2020
Supported by: European Commission
The project entitled, ‘Supporting Human Rights Defenders Working for Women’s and Girls’
Rights in Bangladesh’ was a three-year project started in January 2018. The project funded by
the European Commission and implemented in the rural areas of eight districts along the Indo-
Bangla international border namely Satkhira, Jessore, Rajshahi, Niphamari, Rangpur, Dinajpur,
Lalmonirhat and Kurigram. News Network in partnership with Udayankur Seba Sangstha (USS)
implemented the project activities.
The overall objective of it was to provide support to Women Human Rights Defenders and/or Human
Rights Defenders (W/HRDs) working for women’s and girls’ rights in Bangladesh. The project
worked to recognise and promote the role of WHRDs in the protection and promotion of human
rights, and fundamental freedoms and to protect them by addressing the challenges, risks, and threats that
they may face.
It also supported to protect WHRDs at risk due to their work for the promotion and protection of
the full enjoyment of women’s and girls’ rights.
Media professionals in print, electronic and social media including potential young women
journalists and rural media gatekeepers-editors, news editors and executive editors, rural
journalists and creative women journalists were beneficiaries of the project. Rural civil society
organizations’ leaders, both male and female, and rural religious leaders who are working to
promote women’s and girls’ rights were also its beneficiaries.

Programme for Supporting Journalists to Promote Freedom of Religion

Project period: 2017- 2018

Canada has been promoting freedom of religion in Bangladesh through various initiatives.

Teamed up with the News Network, the High Commission of Canada/Canada Fund implemented a project to promote freedom of religion through media action. It was focused on news reporters, working for local and national mainstream print and electronic media houses and the media gatekeepers, including editors, executive editors, news editors, news-room editors of local newspapers and online news portals. 

The project, “Programme for Supporting Journalists to Promote Freedom of Religion,” undertook several activities in various remote districts of Bangladesh, vulnerable for a peaceful coexistence of all religious people. As part of the activities, participating journalists were sensitized and their professional abilities to report and publish quality report items with respect to freedom of religion and human rights were improved.  The initiative has played an important role to raise awareness of the people on the issues relating to religious freedom.

The initiative was the first of its kind in Bangladesh, particularly for the media people. The project has drawn the attention of policy planners, prominent civil society members, rights-based groups and media people, and was highly appreciated from different levels with a plea to keep continue in other districts. They said the initiative should be continued and expanded in other districts of the country and could be replicated in other countries where freedom of religion often faces challenges.