“The major responsibility of the media is not just to provide information, but to connect and unite a multicultural society.”
With the commitment to highlight the lives, successes, problems, prospects, and various important social issues of expatriate Bangladeshis in multicultural Australia, the bilingual digital news platform Dhaka Sydney Insider has officially started its journey.
Dhaka Sydney Insider was officially launched on Monday, September 7, through a grand event at the Hurstville Civic Theatre in Sydney. Beginning at 7:30 PM, the event was attended by prominent figures from Australian politics, multicultural society, community leadership, law, education, business, and media.
The main topic of discussion at the event was: “The Importance of Media: Providing Information, Establishing Connections, and Uniting the Multicultural Community.”
Speeches were delivered at the event by Chief Guest Mark Buttigieg MLC, Parliamentary Secretary for Multiculturalism. Special guests included former Assistant President of the NSW Parliament Shaoquett Moselmane, Deputy Mayor Masud Chowdhury, Councillor Eliza Rahman, Councillor Masud Khalil, and former Councillor Shahe Zaman Titu.
Speeches were also given by former MP Advocate Sanjida Khanam, community leader Gama Abdul Kader, President of Ekushey Academy Sultan Mahmud, President of Bangladesh Association Australia Monirul Haque George, community leader Shafiqul Alam, prominent columnist Ajay Das Gupta, columnist Dr. Sakhawat Nayan, community leader Fazlul Huq Shafiq, Executive Director of Grace International Simrita Khadka, and prominent lawyer Raj Datta.
The event was presided over by Dr. Md. Sirajul Haque, President of the Editorial Board of Dhaka Sydney Insider. The keynote paper was presented by Editor-in-Chief Azad Kabir. Executive Editor Rahmat Ullah delivered the concluding remarks.
Among journalists, those who spoke at the event included Muksotmoncho Editor Md. Noman Shamim, Sydney Bangla News Editor Mizanur Rahman Suman, Australia Bangladesh Television Reporters Unity President Arko Hasan, Swadhesh Barta Editor Foysal Azad, and Bangladesh Media Forum Australia President Humayun Kabir Roj, among others.
In the discussion, speakers said that in the current digital age, the responsibility of the media is not limited to just publishing news. A responsible media must act as a bridge of communication among people of different classes, professions, and cultures in society. Especially in a multicultural society like Australia, the media can play a vital role in raising the voices of different communities, building mutual understanding, and strengthening social harmony.
Speakers highlighted the importance of the media's role in multicultural Australia. They mentioned that community media is crucial in delivering accurate information to people of different languages and cultures and engaging them with mainstream society. They emphasized the need for a strong and responsible media for community members to voice their concerns. They also spoke about the media's role in building communication between local government and multicultural communities.
“Publishing news is not the end; sustaining it is the biggest challenge”
An important issue regarding the future of the media emerged in the discussion—that while publishing a newspaper or news platform is easy, sustaining it in the long run is much more difficult. Speakers said that with the expansion of social media and digital platforms today, opportunities for publishing news have increased vastly. However, this has also created many new challenges. Gaining reader trust, publishing accurate and verified facts, maintaining skilled journalism, keeping pace with technology, and keeping a media outlet financially sustainable are all major issues now.
Especially in the case of community media, responsibility does not end with just publishing news. One must understand the readers' needs, ensure the representation of various segments of the community, and at the same time maintain professional ethics and objectivity in journalism.
Speakers believe that the true success of a media outlet depends on reader trust, diversity in news, professionalism, and long-term sustainability.
New Responsibilities for the Media in a Multicultural Society
The multicultural reality of Australia received special emphasis in the keynote discussion. Immigrant populations living in Australia from various countries have become part of society with their own languages, cultures, and traditions. Community media can play an important role in highlighting this diversity positively.
Speakers said a community media outlet can fulfill two types of responsibilities simultaneously: on one hand, highlighting the problems, successes, and achievements of its own community; and on the other hand, creating communication between that community and the broader Australian society.
The discussion also raised the need to present news from Bangladesh, important national and local news of Australia, immigration, education, employment, business, culture, community activities, and local government information in simple language for Bengali-speaking Australians.
New Expectations with Dhaka Sydney Insider
At the event, speakers welcomed the official launch of Dhaka Sydney Insider and expressed expectations that this new digital platform will move forward through responsible, neutral, and professional journalism.
On behalf of Dhaka Sydney Insider, it was stated that not just publishing news—creating an effective communication bridge between expatriate Bangladeshis and the broader societies of Bangladesh and Australia is one of their main objectives.
Through delivering news in both Bengali and English, the organization aims to make communication easier between the Bangladeshi community living in Australia and Bangladesh, while also presenting the stories, successes, and contributions of the Bangladeshi community to mainstream Australian society.
