Seminar on “Media and democracy”

Seminar on “Media and democracy”

US journalist marguerite H. Sullivan, director of the center for international media assistance at the Washington –based National endowment for democracy , shared her thought on “media and democracy” on August 4,2009 2 from 2.30 to 4.00 p.m. at the auditorium of the university of liberal art Bangladesh. Most of the faculties and about 150 students were present the seminar.
The seminar was addressed by Associate professor Md. Shamsul Islam where professor. Rafiqul Islam, Vice chancellor, ULAB gave the opening speech.
In this seminar Sullivan discussed about democracy, the essential features and prerequisites of democracy, role of the media in safeguarding the democracy and the process to strengthen the media institution. She also highlighted about the important of media ethics. She said, Ethics is a very much important for journalism. Professional journalist should have ethics. Exposing unethical issue is not well sometimes.
She also highlighted how media use in different side like, government, Corruption etc. she said media is the watchdog for the government and in education media plays an important role.
She told in seminar that, in Bangladeshi media there are especially three problems she has found, these are, 1. Source 2. Identification of source 3. Investigative journalism.
There is lacking of these three things in Bangladeshi media, she has highlighted.

Sullivan has done extensive communication training worldwide who the author of the award winning book entitled a responsible press office: an insider’s Guide”.
She was Executive director of the national Commission for UNESCO. She started her professional career as a journalist, became executive editor of “The Washington Women” and the president of Washington press Club.