Dhaka, April 25
Journalism is not just about hearing, knowing, and reporting, it requires critical thinking beyond professional responsibilities, said Monira Sharmin, Associate Professor of the Postgraduate Diploma in Journalism (PGDJ) Program at the Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB).
“While you may lightly color your writing with context, you must not change the facts. A journalist’s foremost duty is objectivity. Thus, communication skills linked with truth are essential,” she emphasized.
She was speaking as the chairperson during the orientation program for the 2024-2025 session and a felicitation ceremony for outstanding PGDJ students held Friday morning at the PIB auditorium.
Speaking as the chief guest, Parveen Sultana Rabbi, Director of Study and Training of PIB’s PGDJ Program, stated, “The greatest challenge in journalism is to uphold the truth while fighting against falsehood.”
Shuvo Karmakar, PGDJ course coordinator, also highlighted the overall curriculum and activities of PIB during the event.
In her speech, Monira Sharmin stressed that today’s journalists must master technological skills to uncover the truth easily. She underscored the importance of fact-checking to counter misinformation, enriching vocabulary, and acquiring mobile journalism skills in the modern era.
At the beginning of the ceremony, new students were welcomed with flowers. Later, top-performing students from the 2022-2023 & 2021–22 academic sessions were honored with crests, flowers, and books for their achievements.
In the 2022–23 academic year, Sadi Islam secured first place, Arif Khan, a reporter for The Daily Observer, placed second, while third-place winner Ukya Mong was absent from the event.
Among the 2021–22 awardees were Abdur Rahim Manik from Daily Naya Diganta, Mahmudul Hasan Bappy, and Amit Kishore Raut from NTV Online.
Other distinguished attendees included Pankaj Karmakar, Assistant Professor and Masters Program Coordinator at PIB, and Lecturer Lajina Akter Jaslin.
