Dhaka, Oct 25 – Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu on Thursday told parliament that the Digital Security Act-2018 has been enacted so that the media can run news based on facts as their obligation instead of indulging in ‘yellow journalism’.“The Digital Security Act-2018 has been formulated revoking five sections, including 57 one of ICT Act, to make it mandatory for the media to publish news based on facts instead of doing yellow journalism,” he said in reply to a question from Mamunur Rashid Kiron, MP from Noakhali-3.
The minister also said the government is giving print, electronic and online media all-out support to carry objective news.
“The National Broadcast Policy-2014 and the National Online Mass Media Policy 2017 have been formulated with an objective to help the media run objective news,” he added.
In reply to another query, Inu said the government provided financial assistance to 1396 journalists, amounting to Tk 10.07 crore, from the fund of Bangladesh Journalists Welfare Trust over the last eight years.
Describing the government as a media-friendly one, he claimed that it did not establish its control over the media. “Instead, the government is helping the print, electronic and online media run objective news.”
Replying to another question, the minister said a total of 489 national daily newspapers are now being published across the country.
