Everyone hates the news today, and honestly, you can't blame them. When public trust hits rock bottom, people stop reading newspapers and start scrolling social feeds where algorithms reward outrage over facts. But losing independent journalism means losing the only mirror keeping power in check.
Khairul Alam, editor of DBARTA24 and former General Secretary of the Dhaka Union of Journalists, recently pointed out a hard truth at the 'Dialogue about Fakes 4.0' forum in Moscow. He argued that the entire industry faces an existential crisis. To survive, journalism must break free from political masters.
The Trap of Political Compliance
Too many newsrooms treat political allegiance as a survival strategy. When a new administration takes over, reporters face pressure to fall in line or risk everything.
Look at what happened in Bangladesh during the 2024 political upheavals. The unrest that started over civil service job quotas snowballed into a massive anti-government movement, leading to the ouster of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The United Nations estimated that up to 1,400 people died during the chaos. In the aftermath, the landscape shifted violently. UN experts raised alarms in 2025 that over 140 journalists faced murder charges following the protests, while groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists documented widespread arrests and intimidation.
Alam put it bluntly: journalism shouldn't be a reward for supporting whoever holds power, nor should it serve as a punishment for working under a previous administration. When reporters become targets simply because of who was in charge when they wrote a story, the public stops believing anything they read.
Social Media Is Not the Enemy
People love blaming TikTok, X, and Telegram for destroying the news. That's a lazy excuse. Social media is just a distribution channel.
During major crises, viral feeds move faster than traditional newsrooms ever could. They break stories in real time. Yet, those same networks act as super-spreaders for manipulated videos, old footage recycled as breaking news, and coordinated disinformation campaigns.
The real problem isn't that social media exists. The problem is that traditional outlets abdicated their core job. When newsrooms chase clicks with sensationalized headlines, they play on the same turf as anonymous meme accounts—and they lose every single time.
What Real Independence Looks Like
Rebuilding credibility requires going back to basics. You don't win back skeptical readers with corporate PR statements or defensive editorials. You win them back through rigorous execution.
Transparent sourcing matters. If you can't name a source, explain why. Correct mistakes publicly instead of stealth-editing articles when nobody is looking. Give opposing sides a genuine platform to respond rather than pushing a singular narrative. Most importantly, draw a bright red line between objective reporting and partisan activism.
When social feeds flood the screen with noise, professional journalism has one unique advantage left. It offers verification, context, and accountability. If newsrooms stop doing those three things, they deserve to become obsolete.
