Mass Communication and Journalism

Taliban has re-emerged in the same position of power after 20 years with the withdrawal of US troops by whom the government of Afghanistan was ousted. This study examines how two prominent and highly circulated newspapers in Bangladesh, the Daily Star (DS) and Prothom Alo (PA), respectively English and Bangla dailies, have represented the issue of Taliban's coming back to power and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan and how they legitimate the Western intrinsic ideology of sense of superiority-for example, accepting authority of the US and invading powers; and vested agenda of the newspapers. It also argues that both newspapers accepted Orientalist perception of Western superiority-for example, encouraging invading parties to stay in Afghanistan and reject the freedom of Afghanistan people, which eventually promote the orientalist ideology at its core agenda-e.g., forming an enemy image of the non-West and perceive Islam and Muslims as a threat. Examining the news and editorials, this study argues that Bangladeshi newspapers have dehumanized and sidelined the people of the occupied land and favored the invaders instead. Therefore, these newspapers were involved in the exclusion process of Afghan people, which once again would mean that Bangladeshi newspapers constructed the image of Other inside us.

This study explains how Bangladeshi media responded during the coronavirus crisis focusing on the issues of news related to COVID-19. The study analyzes the content of a total of 744 articles in the ProthomAlo & The Daily Star, the country's most-read newspapers in-between the timeline from 8th March 2020 to 4th April 2020. It investigates how the COVID-19 presented as `furious' and `deadly' virus among the readers. In particular, this study explores the representation pattern of the phenomena of 'emerging deadly infectious diseases' in the newspapers. Using Social Representation Theory (SRT), the study investigates the collective meaning sharing focus on the news coverage during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. The study also finds out how the newspapers sideline the representation of this pandemic as a `health crisis' to ` national economic crisis.' Thus the representation covers up the government irresponsibility by focusing more on `unconscious mass' and `limitations' of a developing country. Therefore, the `panic' increases and the solution of this pandemic muffled under it. Also, this study provides some tentative explanations for this linguistic representation by editorial sections of these newspapers.

Misinformation isn't a relatively new phenomenon. With the rapid growth of mobile users’ and ease of use entry to the Internet, false information is circulating from people to people at a very high pace. In this case, some of the questions like, ‘do people glaringly accept fake news? Why don't people check the sources before sharing details with others?’  etc., remain unanswered. Panic triggered by fake news during the timeframe of the occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic is also not lesser. This research describes how unconsciousness and anxiety spread through Facebook during the coronavirus crisis in Bangladesh. The study analyzes the content of a total of 73 selected fake contents related to COVID-19 on Facebook between February to June 2020. Researchers examine the features of the known fake news by placing the contents in certain categories and explore how Facebook users post false information without cross-checking and make the public more unconscious and panicked. This work shows that, in some cases, mainstream media cover the wrong story by posting it on their website page, or to social media, and result in users believing in such non-authentic content. But myths, misinformation, and fraud fuel up making it more difficult for the government to reduce risks, and the health crisis is turning into a national economic crisis as well. The article also provides several suggestions by asking mass media to provide accurate information and increase public awareness to avoid the spread of misinformation.

The study investigates the depiction of victim-blaming culture in Bangladeshi newspapers in the context of a specific suicidal case, employing content analysis to explore the representation of the particular incident on a grander scale than previously thought. Using the-Social Representation Theory,‖ this research focuses on the representation of the victim in Bangladeshi newspapers and attempts to establish the blaming culture prevalent in the country through a specific instance. This mixed-methods study analyzes 27 selected news items regarding the particular case. Data is gathered from five major newspapers (The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, KalerKantho, Samakal, and DeshRupantor) and evaluated using a range of statistical methods. This study describes the victim's linguistic representation in society through textual analysis of four major elements. It is discovered in this paper that the involvement of a well-known figure was the most concerning issue, but that the print media, specifically newspapers, attempted to conceal that involvement by focusing on other factors such as the victim's lifestyle, occupation, and identity, all of which were found to be of great concern by selective newspapers, resulting in negative public opinion toward the victim. According to the authors, even if they are subjected to ownership pressures or pressures from other perpetrators, the national dailies of Bangladesh should portray the actual situation as accurately as possible.

The study investigates the depiction of victim-blaming culture in Bangladeshi newspapers in the context of a specific suicidal case, employing content analysis to explore the representation of the particular incident on a grander scale than previously thought. Using the-Social Representation Theory,‖ this research focuses on the representation of the victim in Bangladeshi newspapers and attempts to establish the blaming culture prevalent in the country through a specific instance. This mixed-methods study analyzes 27 selected news items regarding the particular case. Data is gathered from five major newspapers (The Daily Star, Prothom Alo, KalerKantho, Samakal, and DeshRupantor) and evaluated using a range of statistical methods. This study describes the victim's linguistic representation in society through textual analysis of four major elements. It is discovered in this paper that the involvement of a well-known figure was the most concerning issue, but that the print media, specifically newspapers, attempted to conceal that involvement by focusing on other factors such as the victim's lifestyle, occupation, and identity, all of which were found to be of great concern by selective newspapers, resulting in negative public opinion toward the victim. According to the authors, even if they are subjected to ownership pressures or pressures from other perpetrators, the national dailies of Bangladesh should portray the actual situation as accurately as possible.

This study explains how Bangladeshi media responded during the coronavirus crisis focusing on the issues of news related to COVID-19. The study analyzes the content of a total of 744 articles in the ProthomAlo & The Daily Star,the country's most-read newspapers in-between the timeline from 8th March 2020 to 4th April 2020. It investigates how the COVID-19 presented as `furious’ and `deadly’ virus among the readers. In particular, this study explores the representation pattern of the phenomena of 'emerging deadly infectious diseases' in the newspapers. Using Social Representation Theory (SRT), the study investigates the collective meaning sharing focus on the news coverage during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. The study also finds out how the newspapers sideline the representation of this pandemic as a `health crisis' to ` national economic crisis.' Thus the representation covers up the government irresponsibility by focusing more on `unco...

This study examines how Bangladeshi media frame the economic uncertainty of coronavirus (COVID-19) to understand the absolute scenario of an economic crisis or a disaster through the dominant frames. When keeping people constantly informed through the message of the media, the most important matter is not what is portrayed, but how it is portrayed. Using the content analysis approach, the author intends to analyze a total of 296 editorials and op-ed items in The Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and The Financial Express from March 26 to August 3, 2020. Using the 'Media framing theory', six major frames are used to analyze the data. This article finds out that 'crisis' and 'fear' frames dominated the media coverage of the pandemic. Based on the linguistic analysis, this paper also finds that the economic issues of COVID-19 have been over-focused, in some cases the newspapers sidelined the focus from 'health crisis' to 'national economic crisis'. The language of the coverage of economic contents combines hope, human issues, frustration, and social responsibility at varied proportions. The article suggests that the media could mitigate the crisis by not politicizing the economic issues; rather the journalists should focus on highlighting the solution to surpass the economic crisis and help the authority to implement proper policies for keeping the country's economic conditions safe.

This study examines how Bangladeshi media frame the economic uncertainty of coronavirus (COVID-19) to understand the absolute scenario of an economic crisis or a disaster through the dominant frames. When keeping people constantly informed through the message of the media, the most important matter is not what is portrayed, but how it is portrayed. Using the content analysis approach, the author intends to analyze a total of 296 editorials and op-ed items in The Prothom Alo, The Daily Star, and The Financial Express from March 26 to August 3, 2020. Using the ‘Media framing theory’, six major frames are used to analyze the data. This article finds out that ‘crisis’ and ‘fear’ frames dominated the media coverage of the pandemic. Based on the linguistic analysis, this paper also finds that the economic issues of COVID-19 have been over-focused, in some cases the newspapers sidelined the focus from ‘health crisis’ to ‘national economic crisis’. The language of the coverage of economic c...

This study explains how Bangladeshi media responded during the coronavirus crisis focusing on the issues of news related to COVID-19. The study analyzes the content of a total of 744 articles in the ProthomAlo & The Daily Star, the country's most-read newspapers in-between the timeline from 8th March 2020 to 4th April 2020. It investigates how the COVID-19 presented as `furious' and `deadly' virus among the readers. In particular, this study explores the representation pattern of the phenomena of 'emerging deadly infectious diseases' in the newspapers. Using Social Representation Theory (SRT), the study investigates the collective meaning sharing focus on the news coverage during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. The study also finds out how the newspapers sideline the representation of this pandemic as a `health crisis' to ` national economic crisis.' Thus the representation covers up the government irresponsibility by focusing more on `unconscious mass' and `limitations' of a developing country. Therefore, the `panic' increases and the solution of this pandemic muffled under it. Also, this study provides some tentative explanations for this linguistic representation by editorial sections of these newspapers.

This study explains how Bangladeshi media responded during the coronavirus crisis focusing on the issues of news related to COVID-19. The study analyzes the content of a total of 744 articles in the ProthomAlo & The Daily Star,the country's most-read newspapers in-between the timeline from 8th March 2020 to 4th April 2020. It investigates how the COVID-19 presented as `furious’ and `deadly’ virus among the readers. In particular, this study explores the representation pattern of the phenomena of 'emerging deadly infectious diseases' in the newspapers. Using Social Representation Theory (SRT), the study investigates the collective meaning sharing focus on the news coverage during the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Bangladesh. The study also finds out how the newspapers sideline the representation of this pandemic as a `health crisis' to ` national economic crisis.' Thus the representation covers up the government irresponsibility by focusing more on `unco...

Hijra is a term given to the intersex, hermaphrodite and, transgender people who are part of the Hijra community in Bangladesh. In 2013 Bangladesh government gave the official recognition of Hijras as a third gender community. But the society still thing Hijras are aliens they are not supposed to live in society and have a life. Though Hijras have official recognition of their sexual identity they are far away to get social recognition. Education is a basic need for every single person in the world, and education is the best medium of communication to construct the social identity of a person. According to Bangladesh, education policy education is for all. Hijras are also included in the term ‘all.’ Though they have all the right of being a citizen of the people republic of Bangladesh, we never seen a Hijra in school, college, or any other educational institution. Using a qualitative analysis, this study will focus on why Hijras are not participating in the mainstream education syst...