US embassy cable - 05DHAKA1477

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 001477 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR I/FW, B/G, IIP/G/NEA-SA, B/VOA/N (BANGLA SERVICE) STATE 
FOR SA/PAB, SA/PPD (LSCENSNY, SSTRYKER), SA/RA, INR/R/MR, 
AND PASS TO USAID FOR ANE/ASIA/SA/B (WJOHNSON) 
 
CINCPAC FOR PUBLIC DIPLOMACY ADVISOR, J51 (MAJ TURNER), J45 
(MAJ NICHOLLS) 
 
USARPAC FOR APOP-IM (MAJ HEDRICK) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KMDR, OIIP, OPRC, KPAO, PREL, ETRD, PTER, ASEC, BG, OCII 
SUBJECT: Media Reaction: Dr. Rice's reported comments on 
Bangladesh;Dhaka 
 
 
Summary: English language newspaper "The Daily Star" opinion 
column responds to prior day's column "Motivated Journalism 
Troubling Bangladesh." People have every right to know what 
our friends and donors think about us. There is no doubt 
that the U.S. is one of the greatest friends of Bangladesh. 
The wire services just informed the people of the opinions 
of the U.S. government.  The news agencies performed a great 
job in enabling the people and the government to know the 
U.S. government view about Bangladesh. 
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Dr. Rice's reported comments on Bangladesh 
------------------------------------------ 
"Media Bashing:A Troubling Syndrome" 
Independent English language "The Daily Star" opinion column 
(03/30/05) says: 
The article "Motivated journalism troubling Bangladesh" drew 
my attention. Going through the article, it seems that the 
writer has joined the bandwagon of media bashing in this 
country. 
I read all the news items referred to in the article, which 
also gave some quotes from the sources of the news items. 
After going through the quotes, I did not find anything that 
can be termed as "motivated" in the negative sense. 
Journalists should have some sort of motivation, which must 
be for truth and for the greater cause of the people and the 
nation. Without motivation for truth, a journalist cannot be 
a true journalist; rather he or she would be turned into a 
public relations officer. The recent media bashing by the 
ministers and bureaucrats expose their intention that 
journalists should become Public Relations Officers for the 
country. 
The headline of the article in the first sight gave an 
impression that the news items released by BDNEWS (a 
privately-owned wire service) and UNB (United News of 
Bangladesh, a privately-owned wire service  were the 
distortions of the statements made by the sources. However, 
the article itself carries the truth that the two 
independent news agencies did not distort the statements. 
They just reproduced the statements with necessary 
paraphrasing. Then what was the fault of the two agencies? 
The only "sin" they committed is the reproduction of the 
news item in the country's news media enabling the people to 
know about the sentiments of the US Secretary of State and 
the Indian External Affairs Minister. The notion seems to 
be: "The foreign media carried their opinions, no problem, 
as the country's people do not have access to those media. 
But why you people dug it out and circulated in our media?" 
No doubt the news items irked the government high-ups 
substantially when the country (or at least the government) 
is suffering from a serious image crisis. But the government 
neither came up with a rejoinder to the news items nor 
lodged any formal protest to the statements. That means the 
items released by the two agencies were based on fact and 
truth. 
As the government is oath-bound to protect the interests of 
the people and the nation, the journalists have also the 
responsibility to keep the people informed about what is 
going on against their interests. When foreigners perceive 
an ill notion about our country and people mainly for the 
misdeeds and mistakes of the ruling class and bureaucrats, 
it is the duty of the press to inform people how they are 
being demeaned before the world and by whom. 
The image of the government and the interests of the people 
are two conflicting issues, hanging on opposite poles. When 
we say ours is a corrupt country, it simply means that our 
government machinery is corrupt. The general public has no 
relation with this corruption. People naturally want that 
the press unearth the corruption, whereas such revelation 
would definitely tarnish the image of the government. So, 
the government's perception about the press remains always 
negative. 
In the India Today interview, US Secretary of State 
Condoleezza Rice said, "There is more that we probably need 
to do on Bangladesh, which is, I think, a place that is 
becoming quite troubling" and BDNEWS in the first line of 
its news item wrote: "U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza 
Rice has said Bangladesh is becoming quite troubling." 
Giving the quotes of both the statements of Rice and the 
BDNEWS story, the author said, "What a distortion of facts!" 
Where is the distortion? It is beyond my understanding, and 
I think, also of the other readers, where the distortions 
have taken place. 
The author wrote about "motivated journalism." Who is 
motivated? Our press or the Indian press? About what the 
Indian press said, I have nothing to say, and I think the 
author also did not point his finger at the Indian press. 
Then, how did our two independent news agencies become the 
greatest friends of Bangladesh? The BDNEWS and UNB just the 
"motivated" ones? Did they themselves produce the stories? 
No, they did not produce anything on their own. Is it a sin 
to reveal to our people what others are thinking about us? 
People have every right to know what our friends and donors 
think about us. There is no doubt that the U.S. is one of 
informed the people of the opinions of the U.S. government. 
Is this distorted journalism? I think the news agencies 
performed a great job in enabling the people and the 
government to know the U.S. government view about us. 
Instead of bashing the media, the government should thank 
them for discharging their duty excellently, which can help 
the government undertake corrective measures. 
The reasons behind the heartburn of the ruling class and the 
bureaucrats are easily understandable. Whenever a donor or 
foreign diplomat passes negative remarks, the blame goes on 
the government. The government is perhaps more worried about 
its vote bank than the welfare of the people. So, whenever 
anything negative comes out in the press, the government 
jumps on the press. 
Nothing seems to be wrong for the ministers and bureaucrats 
when they tarnish the country's image by their deeds. But 
the government machinery joins in the chorus of criticism of 
the media when those are made public through the press. 
Chammas