“Open letter to the broadcast media about covering COVID-19”
I want to write an open letter to the broadcast media that recently because of COVID 19 in Bangladesh government have announced that people should maintain social distancing. Everywhere they should keep their distance even it will be applicable in the sector of mosques. There is a rule that only 5 people can come and pray the Jummah Namaz. And everyone should pray from home. So, people are trying to maintain the rules. Recently at the time of prayer photojournalist went to cover the news that 5 people were performing Jummah Namaz. But at the time of prayer some of the journalist come in front of the person who was involved in prayer. In Muslim religion we maintain that if anyone performs prayer no one can stand in front of him that time as he is in prayer. So some photojournalist do that to cover their news. After publishing some photos of this incident people wanted to know why they had done such kind of irresponsible activities.
From my point of view, I think SPJ code of ethics accountability should maintain.
Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one’s work and explaining one’s decisions to the public. They should Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently. Explain corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly. Because in a Muslim country like ours people count this as a big mistake. That they should maintain curtesy at the time of covering the news though the photographer covered an excellent moment and they take the picture at the end of the prayer. But still it became a controversial and pointed to ethical issues.
Another thing I want to add is that, this photo is published by another photojournalist that photojournalist was taking pictures standing in front of the prayer. He was also covering the news. Another SPJ code of ethics says minimizing harm. So, that photojournalist creates a controversy against another photojournalist. So, how much that is ethically right.
So, media should maintain their ethical standards.
Zabed Hasnain Chowdhury (Anando)
Photojournalist and Documentary Photographer Based in Bangladesh.
Student of Diploma in Visual Journalism
The Asian Center for Journalism at the Ateneo de Manila University
