The BBC Academy has launched a free resource dedicated to journalism and language use in Bangla. The mobile-first design of the BBC Academy Bangla site (in its first iteration) focuses on BBC’s core journalistic practice including editorial values, use of the Bangla language, journalistic skills, and offers valuable insights to Bangla-speaking journalists at the BBC and around the world.Najiba Kasraee, Editor of Academy International Sites, says: “Language and journalism are inseparable. It’s important to provide journalists not only with skills training but also to make them aware of the importance of observing language standards that have been honed by BBC journalists, based on our guidelines of unbiased, accurate and fair reporting.”
BBC Bangla delivers its news and information to users not only in Bangladesh but also in India and the wider region as well as diaspora audiences in the Gulf and elsewhere around the world. The service’s ever growing digital presence further increases the need for universally accepted references.
Sabir Mustafa, BBC Bangla Editor, says: “BBC Bangla journalists always bear in mind linguistic differences, especially those between the communities in Bangladesh and India. Many choices of terms are loaded with connotations reflecting the speaker’s religious identity. In the often polarised political atmosphere of the region, choice of words in reports and in questions during interviews has to be judicious to maintain the neutrality, fairness and objectivity of our journalism.”
The new website, which offers content in three main categories – Language, Skills and Standards – provides a guide to the BBC’s editorial standards and core values. Journalists will find language tools that ensure standards such as impartiality and accuracy are maintained as they translate materials or create and deliver original content.
Covering a wide range of multimedia skills – television, radio and digital production – the site focuses on presentation, writing, and use of social media. A special focus is given to helping journalists produce and present under pressure of tight deadlines.
The new content in Bangla is one of 23 languages now available from the BBC Academy. This development is in line with BBC Academy’s pledge to provide support for all of the BBC World Service languages – including the new language services that will start delivering content as part of BBC World Service’s expansion.
The content in Bangla is available via the BBC Academy site and can be accessed via the BBC Bangla homepage bbcbangla.com.
