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Newspapers keep us updated with the latest incidents happening across the world. This functionality by newspapers is known to all but very few people are aware of the fact that newspapers can play fruitful roles for widening knowledge among readers with facts and figures representing various pastures like domestic events, economy, international issues, science and technology, banking, business, literature, entertainment, sports etc. Journalists who are occupied with newspapers across the globe are thus serving the worldwide masses with invaluable endeavors to deepen the intellectual worth of countless numbers of readers. Mass media is regarded as the fourth pillar of statecraft.
Currently in Bangladesh there are lots of Bengali and English newspapers including both print and online versions. We are receiving news items on latest incidents just with a click or turning over newspapers’ pages but one question remains unanswered whether we have been able to transform our newspapers into knowledge institutions. While looking for an answer to this question, another query comes up whether we have enough numbers of qualified and intellectually competent journalists who can truly work for enhancing our knowledge. Some well-known journalists of our country are involved with teaching at universities and writing research papers which are scholarly avocations but such newsmen are very few in number.
People, particularly students can learn a lot of things by reading newspapers. It has been observed that students getting ready for job tests peruse newspapers very inquisitively to attain vivid ideas about important things happening all over the world. But students should build up the habit of reading newspapers all the time as part of everyday life, not just when they face competitive exams.
Despite high numbers of newspapers all over Bangladesh, journalism has not yet acquired the status of a lucrative job in our country. For example, parents of prospective brides in our country attach high importance to eligible bachelors like government officers, bankers, physicians, engineers and businessmen while looking for grooms but journalists are hardly found on this list of top priorities in the present era. Jobs associated with intellect and creative qualities are not much valued in our society which is why teachers and journalists have not been yet able to clutch the rung of being honored by most of the people. From one angle it may be envisioned as the reality that we have become extremely materialistic under the augmentation of ultra-capitalism. From another viewpoint it may be visualized as the fact that we are inclined head over heels to pay honor only to people who have the capability to show off power and pomp.