PROGRAMME FOR PROMOTING SAFETY OF JOURNALIST

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.

COLLABORATIVE ACTION FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION (CAFE)

Freedom of Expression (FoE) is crucial for empowering individuals and fostering development of a nation. It encompasses the right to speak, to be heard, and to participate in political, artistic, and social spheres. FoE also includes the “right to know” which ensures the ability to seek, receive, and share information through any form of media. It is the freedom to hold and voice opinions on significant issues, access to information, and hold those in power accountable. It plays an important role in healthy development of a society. In line with this, News Network, with support from Internews, has initiated a fifteen-month project titled Collaborative Action for Freedom of Expression (CAFE). The project aims to strengthen collaboration between journalists and civil society organizations (CSOs) to advance freedom of expression and advocate for reforms in laws and policies. The initiative will be implemented in all divisional headquarters and key districts. The objectives of the project are: (i) enhance the capacity of civil society to document restrictions on freedom of expression (ii) support multi-stakeholder efforts to generate public demand and raise awareness among policymakers about the need to reform restrictive laws impacting freedom of expression and (iii) equip journalists and CSOs with essential safety knowledge and skills to help them prepare for and respond to any threat while discharging professional duties.

Strengthening Capacity of Media to Promote Democracy

Supported by Internews
Period: 2023

News Network is implementing a project titled, ‘Strengthening Capacity of Media to Promote Democracy’ in several districts across the country with the support of Internews, an international media support nonprofit organization.

The main objective of this project is to enhance the capacity of national, regional, and local journalists for maintaining highest ethical standard, accuracy, and objectivity to promote democracy and good governance in the country.

The programme will add great value to each of local and national elections, particularly holding the upcoming national election in a free and fair manner. Its key activities include developing a group of trainers and train up journalists on election reporting. About 420 journalists, working for print and electronic media will be befitted from the project. Journalists will also be sensitized on electoral process, rules and regulations, role of election commission and the state of holding a free and fair elections, responsibilities of media and ethical issues of reporting.

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. **

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.

Strengthening The Capacity Of Journalists To Promote Freedom Of Religion And Peace

Project period: 2019- 2020
Funded by: Canadian High Commission

The High Commission of Canada to Bangladesh keeps continue its support to News Network in implementing a project on strengthening capacity of journalists to promote freedom of religion and peace.

The project has focused on news reporters who are working at remote rural districts and local media gatekeepers, including editors, executive editors, news editors, news-room editors of local newspapers and online news portals. 

As part of the project activities, News Network sensitizes media professionals on the importance religious freedom and peace and improves their professional abilities.

With improved capacities, the media professionals will be able to publish quality news and feature items and raise awareness among the people for effective engagement of relevant stakeholders in countering intolerance and ensure peace in the society.

Prgramme 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 at the individual journalist and editorial levels. 

The attack on freedom of expression has escalated recently with introduction of digital security act which is being used indiscriminately to harass journalists and other media activists.

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 News Network, with support from Internews, has launched a project in April, 2020 in five divisions in Bangladesh with a view to strengthening the digital safety and physical security for journalists and access to resources.

The project activities includes Training of Journalists’ Trainers (ToT) and field level training workshops for media people, working for local and national print and electronic media on digital and physical safety of journalists, aims to foster media independence in Bangladesh by strengthening investigative journalism capacity focusing on building skills in digital and physical security, reducing self-censorship, and addressing lack of media freedoms.

The programmes will take place in the capital city Dhaka and four other divisional headquarters of Chattogram, Sylhet, Khulna and Barisal. More than one hundred journalists will be benefited from the project as well as they will share their experience and learnings from the programme among their colleagues with multiple effects.  

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

Women and girls in Bangladesh are deprived of their Constitutional rights in accessing justice and gender-based violence is a very common phenomenon.

However, the Government of Bangladesh has ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discriminations against Women and passed the Women Development Policy 2011 to ensure strong protection for women and girls’ rights. But this has not changed the reality in the field yet.

An unacceptable social attitude among a section of the society and officials towards women and girls is still there. Weak enforcement of women-friendly laws and regulations, slow but insufficient judicial protection, inadequate social protest and protection, poor family environment, poor and inadequate intervention from human rights defenders (HRDs) and weak voice of women human rights defenders (WHRDs) are the major impediments in ensuring women’s and girls’ rights in Bangladesh.

News Networked has teamed up with the European Union in Bangladesh to address these issues and has taken up a comprehensive project.

The Project entitled, “Supporting Human Rights Defenders Working for Women’s and Girls’ Rights in Bangladesh” is a three-year project started in January 2018. The project funded by the European Union and implemented by the News Network in partnership with Udayankur Seba Sangstha (USS) in the rural areas of eight districts along the Indo-Bangla international border namely Satkhira, Jessore, Rajshahi, Niphamari, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram.

The overall objective of the project is 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 has been working to recognise and promote the role of WHRDs in the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms and to protect them addressing the challenges, risks and threats that they may face.

It also supports and protects WHRDs at risk due to their work for the promotion and protection of the full enjoyment of women’s and girls’ rights.

Media professionals of 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 are the targeted beneficiaries of the project.

Rural civil society organisations’ leaders, both male and female, and rural religious leaders who are working to promote women’s and girls’ rights are also its beneficiaries.

Supporting Journalists to Promote Freedom of Religion

Funded by: Canada Fund for Local Initiatives

Project period: 15 September 2017- 15 April 2018

News Network implemented the project, with financial support from Canada Fund for Local Initiatives-CFLI, to promote freedom of religion through media action. Its target group was the local news reporters, working for local and national mainstream print and electronic media and the media gatekeepers (i.e. editors, executive editors, news editors, news-room editors) of local newspapers and online news portals. Objectives of the project were to support local journalists to promote freedom of religion and peaceful coexistence of people of all religions through; (i) strengthening the professional capacity of local journalists/news reporters and (ii) organising interactive meetings with media gatekeepers (publishers, editors and news editors) of local media to discuss the issues and their impact and publishing items with respect to freedom of religion and human rights. The project was implemented in Rangpur, Jashore and Khulna districts.

 

The initiative was the first of its kind in Bangladesh, particularly for the media people. It has drawn attention of policy planners, prominent civil society members, rights-based groups, other relevant stakeholders and received appreciations from various levels with a plea to continue the programme in other districts of the country. Such project can be replicated in other countries where freedom of religion often faces challenges.