He was speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled 'Role of Media in Sustainable Democracy' organized by the Television Editors Council in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Friday (August 7).

Referring to the discussants' speeches at the seminar, the minister said that the concern that once existed about government control over the media no longer exists in the present reality. The speakers who participated in the event also positively assessed the government's current position. He said he would convey these observations and opinions of the discussants to the prime minister.

Regarding the future of the media, Zahir Uddin Swapan said, 'An independent and responsible media helps establish sustainable democracy, and a democratic environment is also necessary for the development of a strong media. Therefore, these two matters should be seen as complementary to each other.'

He said, 'The news media is not just a social institution, it is also an industry. So there are also aspects of investment, operation and profit in this sector. But at the same time, the media has important roles to play in protecting public interest, ensuring accountability, and fulfilling its responsibilities towards the state and society. Therefore, this sector has to be brought under an institutional framework where the interests of owners, journalists, advertisers and the government can remain balanced.'

The information minister said, 'The media ecosystem is now much more complex than before. Alongside traditional newspapers and television, digital platforms, social media and international technology companies are now important parts of this system. Artificial intelligence has also been added to this, changing the way information flows and news is delivered. This changed reality should be taken into consideration, and the opportunity to build a new generation of media must be utilized.'

He further said, 'The government does not want to control the media, rather it wants to ensure a healthy and sustainable environment through effective policies. If such an environment can be created, investment in the media will increase, and it will become easier to ensure improved salary structures, working environments and professional safety for journalists.'

Zahir Uddin Swapan said, 'Journalism is a profession that works as one of the foundations of the state and society. Therefore, the dignity and safety of this profession must be ensured. But the government alone cannot do this; media owners, journalists, advertisers and all concerned parties must come forward in a coordinated manner.'

Regarding the challenges of the digital age, the information minister said, 'Today's biggest fight is between accurate information and misinformation. So objective, accurate and responsible journalism is now the biggest challenge. At the same time, playing an effective role against fake and misleading information is also an important duty of journalism.'

He said, 'The government is firmly committed to establishing a sustainable, independent and responsible media. The cooperation of all media-related parties is needed to achieve this goal.'