6 days ago
Local journalism in Bangladesh
In Bangladesh, mainstream media rarely cover life outside the big cities. DW Akademie supports young journalists like Naimur Rahman to use the newest techniques to report on local issues.
The light of the setting sun filters through the dense foliage, as lanterns are pulled up on wooden poles. Hundreds of candles lie scattered in the grass like clusters of white flowers. Around them, sitting cross-legged, women and men are praying. Some are wearing traditional dress, others in their checked shirts look as if they have just come from the office. They are members of Buddhist minorities who are performing a yearly purification ritual in the hills of the Rangamati region in southern Bangladesh.
The lanterns may light up the sky, but just 300 kilometers away in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, hardly anyone knows of the ritual. In 2021, the then 22-year-old student Naimur Rahman produced a video about the tradition in Rangamati. The largest English-language newspaper in Bangladesh, The Daily Star, published the report , introducing the ritual to the website's many users in Dhaka.
The country's mainstream media rarely report on how people live outside of urban centers. But if people know nothing about each other, they run the risk of becoming embroiled in disputes, even bloody conflicts. Unfortunately, this has already occurred several times in Rangamati in the past.
A way to build bridges between communities, Rahman's video was the result of a three-year fellowship program at DW Akademie, which teaches aspiring media professionals in Bangladesh the most up-to-date digital skills. In 2023, Rahman reported on Chittagong's shipbreaking yards for a story exploring the industry's environmental and human health impacts Image: Saim Bin Mujib/DW A new look at one's own country
Rahman was one of the first 28 recipients of the "Local Media Hub Fellowship" selected by DW Akademie from all over the country. The word "local" was key to the program, as the aspiring journalists were expected to bring with them an enthusiasm for their regions and their cultural richness. They then set out to cover places where the country's major newspapers and television stations do not send correspondents. Rahman reported live from the Bangladesh–Myanmar border in February 2024 amid crossfire between Myanmar's Junta forces and the Arakan Army Image: Mong Sing Hai Marma/DW
Even as a schoolboy, Rahman roamed the streets with a camera in his hand. Taking part in the DW Akademie training courses, he received training on a range of digital tools needed for modern reporting, including interviewing, data journalism, mobile reporting, multimedia storytelling, constructive journalism, fact-checking and artificial intelligence. Rahman also learned how to turn relevant topics into gripping stories and how to appropriately verify information from the Internet.
Julfikar Ali Manik, one of Bangladesh's best-known investigative journalists and one of the project trainers, was pivotal in helping Rahman during his research in Rangamati. According to Rahman, Al Manik showed him how to connect with people of completely different walks of life and get them to tell their stories.
"This early, practical foundation gave me the confidence to grow in this field," said Rahman. Impressive career
Naimur Rahman's young career has already seen multiple successes and he attributes this to the DW Akademie fellowship.
'It led directly to a job interview that helped me get my current position at The Daily Star,' said the multi-award-winning Rahman. "I now work there as an assistant producer in the multimedia department."
As part of his work for the Daily Star, Rahman also researched human rights violations surrounding the political upheaval in Bangladesh in the summer of 2024. He conducted interviews with mothers whose young sons were killed in the protests, visited hospitals and collected information on official death tolls.
He now also works as a field producer, video journalist (VJ) and cameraman for international media outlets. After completing his bachelor's degree, Rahman went on to complete a diploma in film and TV in 2024. New round has already started
The current DW Akademie scholarship program started in 2024, with 30 new participants. This time, 15 students and 15 young media professionals have been selected. In addition to two years of training, they will also be able to work in tandems and support each other. Rahman is certain that, like him, the new participants will continue to benefit from the experience and contacts made after completing the program. The Local Media Hub Fellowship group of 2024-2026 during a training on AI in journalism Image: Istiaq Muhit
"The fellowship brought me together with a vibrant network of colleagues and mentors from across the region and broadened my view of journalism beyond national borders," Rahman said. "Participating in collaborative projects, workshops and receiving feedback from international trainers helped me to understand the importance of ethical reporting, inclusive storytelling and target group orientation."
All of this has inspired him to tell stories with a social impact and to work to make underrepresented voices heard. Rahman also wants to pass on the knowledge he has acquired over the years to others and now works as a trainer and mentor himself, including for DW Akademie.
Author: Patrick Batarilo
The fellowship program is part of DW Akademie's thematic program 'Journalism of the Future' and is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). DW Akademie has been working in Bangladesh since 2014, primarily to modernize the university education of aspiring journalists.
