MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDER

News Network began its journey in 1994 when the media in Bangladesh started seeing the boom, bringing along with it a major challenge – lack of skilled journalists and other media workers. Taking up the issue, a group of journalists and development activists set together and formed News Network and fixed its line of action to bridge the gap.

In March 1995, News Network got registered under the ‘Foreign Donation (Voluntary Activities) Regulation Ordinance, 1978’ as a non-government and non-profit organisation.  At present, it is one of the reputed and well-known media support organisations for its comprehensive works.

                Shahiduzzaman

News Network projects are very much related to media development. And its focus on promotion of media people and media development has enabled it to get connected with donor agencies, international organisations and foreign missions. Over the years, it has been able to achieve a marked success in developing professional skill those people pouring in the field of Bangladesh journalism.
Our mission is to promote freedom of expression and press freedom, good governance, transparency and gender equality and above all human rights. News Network also seeks to develop the professional capacity of journalists and media houses, and bring more women in journalism. Its vision is to see a stable nation, where citizens are aware of their rights, enjoy freedom of expression, live with dignity and where the media is free.

We are gender responsive, and the women are trained to look across the fringe and dig deeper into the contents. In doing so, News Network runs a six-to-nine month-long journalism fellowship programme for young women who are interested in taking up journalism as career. It is known as one of the most successful programmes of the organisation.

Our agendas are:

  • Promoting freedom of expression, freedom of media, human rights, democracy and gender equality
  • Working for developing the professional capacity of journalists and professional safety of media people
  • Encouraging young women to take up journalism as a profession
  • Promoting investigative journalism and right to information
  • Sensitizing media people on crucial social issues including Right to Information Act, good governance, transparency, access to justice and adaptation to climate change
  • Motivating children and youths to build themselves as good citizens
  • Promoting secularism, tolerance and peace in society, and also the rights of ethnic and indigenous people of the country
  • Combating gender-based violence and violence against women of all ages
  • Organising dialogues, seminars, workshops and discussion meetings on issues of national importance

Since 1997, News Network has been running a news-feature service, which is different in many ways from the ones provided by the traditional news media. The organisation is governed by a seven-member Executive Council. And, it is run by a group of journalists and experts.

We know, it is still a long way to go to fulfill the mission but the efforts of course are on.

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