The Media Reform Commission has recommended that the minimum entry salary for journalists should be set at an amount equivalent to grade 9 like BCS cadres while the journalists should have a minimum graduation as educational qualification.
According to the National Pay Scale 2015, the basic salary of grade 9 officers starts at Tk 22,000. Other allowances including house rent are added to this. In total, this salary is more than Tk 35,000.
The Commission also recommended that no journalist should be hired - whether on a temporary, permanent, or contractual basis - without an appointment letter, a photo ID, and salary.
It also proposed that the probation period should not exceed one year.
The Media Reform Commission submitted its report to Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna.
Senior journalist Kamal Ahmed, who is heading the Media Reform Commission, also had a meeting with the Chief Adviser. Commission members were present.
Commission head Kamal Ahmed briefed the reporters in front of Jamuna sharing summary of the report. Chief Adviser's Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam and members of the Media Reform Commission were present.
Highlighting the need for journalists’ financial security, the Commission chief said this can be for journalists across the country.
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However, since the cost of living in Dhaka is high, a 'Dhaka allowance' may be added to the salaries that journalists will receive across the country, he said.
“This allowance will be added to the salaries that journalists receive in Dhaka. This allowance will be decided by the government and various parties in the media,” said the Commission chief.
Asked about the educational qualifications of journalists, Kamal Ahmed said they talked about the qualifications of editors and publishers, not only journalists - the minimum qualification of journalists should be a graduate.
“We hope that the current interim government and the future elected government will implement all these recommendations,” he said.
Kamal Ahmed said that they have recommended a law for protection in journalism and they have also drafted a protection ordinance.
He said they want to see quality newspapers, TV channels and radios survive through "fair and transparent" competition.
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He said the media is seeking accountability from politicians and bureaucrats but the question is there about the accountability of mass media.
Kamal Ahmed said it is a big question globally today who are the owners of the media outlets.
He said there have been no changes in the media ownership, but newsroom leaders have been changed only in line with those political parties who are likely to be in power in the near future.
The Media Reform Commission recommended that no single company, group, individual, family, or entrepreneur should own multiple media outlets.
The Commission recommended a bar on cross-ownership (owner of a TV station may not be allowed to own a newspaper) and ownership of multiple outlets of the same nature (same owner of more than one news outlets in the same platform in the same language) to safeguard the commercial viability of the sector, which it terms 'one media, one house'.
On November 18, the interim government formed the 11-member Media Reform Commission with an aim to make media independent, stronger and objective.