Media Reform Recommendations: Better pay and ownership control sound good on paper. But how do you implement it?

Members of Media Reform Commission during submission of their report to Chief Adviser prof Muhammad Yunus on 22 March 2025. Photo: TBS

The recently released report from the Media Reform Commission (MRC) could bring major changes to the industry, outlining a path for much-needed reforms. But while many of its recommendations sound promising, a few have sparked heated debates—especially two key proposals: setting a minimum starting salary for journalists and restricting media ownership.

MRC handed over the reform recommendations to the Chief Advisor on Saturday. One of the proposals suggests that entry-level journalists should earn at least as much as ninth-grade officers in the BCS cadre service. Under the National Pay Scale 2015, that means a basic salary of Tk22,000, which, with allowances like house rent, pushes the total beyond Tk35,000.

Then there's the "one media, one house" proposal, where the commission argues that no single company, individual, or family should own multiple media outlets. 

It also recommends banning cross-ownership—so, for example, if someone owns a TV channel, they shouldn't also own a newspaper. Additionally, it suggests limiting multiple outlets of the same type such as more than one news platform in the same language to keep the media industry commercially sustainable.

The ownership proposal also involves bringing media outlets under the capital market. As part of this, the commission has suggested setting a deadline for medium and large media companies to go public by offering shares and getting listed on the stock exchange. 

Additionally, it may be made mandatory for small media companies to provide employees with shares.

It is undeniable that these recommendations look great on paper, and from a theoretical standpoint, they seek to ensure that journalists are fairly compensated for producing quality journalism, while also pushing the media industry toward a more neutral and independent framework, free from crony ownership. 

However experts question the feasibility of these proposals within the context of Bangladesh. There are doubts about whether media owners and other key stakeholders will be willing to accept such changes, casting a cloud over their ultimate implementation.  

Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury, managing director of Digitally Right, pointed out that while the recommendations propose a minimum salary for journalists, they leave the rest up to the discretion of the employers. 

Unlike the government's pay scale system, which includes a clear framework for gradual promotion, no such structure has been suggested for the media sector.

"This omission presents challenges," he said. "The minimum wage structure needs to be integrated into a legal framework, such as a wage board for not only newspapers but all kinds of media, to comply with Bangladesh's labour laws." 

He also added that without a proper legal framework in place, issues like an employer failing to pay the proposed Tk35,000 salary would have no clear recourse for resolution. "The logical step would be to approach the labour court, which operates under existing labour laws."

That said, he welcomed the move by the commission, "Without a decent basic salary, why will talented people come to the industry? And if you can't bring or retain talent, how can you improve the country's media landscape with the flow of quality journalism? So, this recommendation can serve as a good starting point for further discussion," Chowdhury said.

However, the real challenge will be getting media owners to comply with the recommendation.

Matiur Rahman Chowdhury, the editor of Manabzamin, pointed out that the country's economic situation is critical, and amid this situation, the proposal for a minimum basic salary in line with BCS cadres could be counterproductive. 

"With industries shutting down regularly and millions of workers losing their jobs, no one is willing to invest. The media sector is not immune to these issues either. Major media houses are continuously laying off employees, further exacerbated by a sense of uncertainty brought on by changing circumstances," he said.

In light of these challenges, he believes that in a business that is entirely privately owned, "imposing such regulations without considering the ground realities could mean the demise of small media outlets."

Dr Md Mofizur Rahman, a professor and former chairperson of Mass Communication and Journalism at Dhaka University, echoed this concern, saying "The proposal to increase starting salaries sounds good. It is certainly important and positive news for journalists, but who will bear the cost?"

He explained that the production cost of a single newspaper can reach Tk25-30, while it is sold for only Tk10-15, with the remaining amount already being subsidised. The amount accumulated from advertisements is also far from enough. 

"Therefore, financial models within the media industry must be reformed first; otherwise, other reforms will not succeed," he added.

He was also sceptical about the practicality of the recommendation surrounding media ownership.

According to him, the proposal contradicts the fundamental nature of the economic system we live in. In a free-market, capitalist economy like ours, the media has already been handed over to private ownership. 

In such a system, controlling ownership in this manner directly conflicts with the principles of basic economics.

"Of course, it is equally true that when multiple media outlets are concentrated under a single ownership, it leads to monopolisation without any qualitative improvement. This makes the issue undeniably significant.

"Still, I have doubts about the feasibility of implementing these regulations in our country. Key stakeholders—such as media owners and other influential parties—need to be sensitised, which will require considerable time. Whether this will actually happen is another matter entirely," he said.

Hence, according to him, ensuring editorial independence is far more crucial. "Media owners should not have the authority to interfere directly in editorial decisions, and safeguarding that independence is a more pressing concern," he said. 

Miraj Ahmed Chowdhury also weighed in, noting that legally, the situation is quite challenging. 

He explained that some media companies have multiple outlets under one umbrella, while others operate separate companies to manage different outlets. In some cases, outlets are owned by individuals, while others are controlled by corporate entities. 

Ownership structures vary widely—some companies may have three owners, others two from the same source, with a third from a different one. Within the same group, one outlet might be owned by a family member, while another is controlled by a different family member under a separate company. 

"These complex legal entanglements make it difficult to implement clear solutions," Chowdhury said. 

That said, he stressed that it is essential to establish a clear framework for media ownership that encourages investment and allows all stakeholders to effectively play their roles. 

"The emergence of new, independent ownership is especially crucial—ownership that is not influenced by political or business interests. Media should be seen as an information business focused on sustainable growth, and incentivising such independent ventures is vital," Chowdhury said.

The next concern is whether bringing media outlets under the capital market would be a wise decision. Dr Rahman highlighted that most media houses in Bangladesh, particularly newspapers, are operating at a loss. 

Owners often use funds from their other business ventures to support these media outlets, as various political-economic factors influence this decision. 

"Now when discussing entering the stock market, it may diversify ownership by involving a broader group of shareholders, but the key question remains: will the general public be willing to buy shares in a loss-making business?" 

Ahsan Kamrul, coordinator of Media Monitor, an organisation focused on overseeing and analysing media content and trends, however, believes that the idea could still somewhat work for large and medium-scale companies, but it would not be a good decision for small companies.

He pointed out that these companies operate with very limited operational and administrative resources. If they are required to make such deals with employees, it could lead to their downfall, as such measures would create unnecessary chaos in the small media sector.

"Instead, we need to improve the environment for small media houses. In the recent past, several tiny news outlets even won the Pulitzer Prize. 

"In our country, too, these small outlets can report on stories that larger media houses dare not touch. Big media houses often have to sacrifice journalistic integrity for various factors, but small media houses are immune to that. Therefore, we must protect them financially."

In this regard, Dr Rahman further emphasised that a budgetary allocation could be introduced for the media, with news being considered and declared a public good. A permanent media commission could play a key role in this initiative.

However, he also pointed out that to ensure fair, impartial, and quality journalism, the practice of granting licenses for new media houses to just about anyone should be stopped. 

"There should be a rigorous screening process before issuing new licenses, and they should be given particularly to those who are not planning to establish media outlets solely for their political or economic gain but are genuinely interested in operating media businesses responsibly," he added.

Experts also pointed out that, although social media now dominates the information landscape and is often the main source of misinformation, the Media Reform Commission report didn't properly address this issue.

Even according to the National Public Opinion Survey on Media by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), commissioned by the MRC, 26.85% of people rely on social media platforms for news updates during national disasters or crises, which is more than any other media.  

Given this, it is surprising that the commission's report offers no concrete recommendations regarding social media. If left unchecked, the social media issue could become an even bigger problem in the future.

However, it is also worth considering whether it would be a good idea to include social media as a distinct sector in the media reform commission's report, potentially laying the foundation for the institutionalisation of social media as a credible news source.

"There could have been some guidelines for social media channels or pages that identify themselves as news or media organisations. However, news is spread on social media through many other informal channels or even simply by individuals. Therefore, their presence might be better addressed in a separate report rather than within this one," Kamrul noted.