M. Mushfiqul Fazal is a Bangladeshi journalist working for Just News BD as Editor and White House Correspondent, covering the UN, US State Department, and Pentagon. He is the Editor-at-large for a New York-based newly founded tv network News Communication Network (NCN). He extensively reports on the US and its regional affairs in South Asia, especially in Bangladesh. Mushfiqul is a strong voice for press freedom; He is involved in Washington based nonprofit rights group, Right to Freedom as Executive Director (unpaid) His journalistic works forced him to exile, living in the UK where he worked for The Times as work experience reporter in the foreign desk.
According to reports, on several occasions, his questions at UN press conferences on gross human rights violations directed the governments’ anger towards him resulting in a ban on his return to Bangladesh and blocked the news outlet in Bangladesh. Mushfiqul is a member of the United Nations Correspondent Association, Washington National Press Club, and Bangladesh National Press Club. He lives in Virginia with his wife and two sons.
You have a vibrant Twitter presence. How has your experience as a journalist been different between the era before social media and the era after social media?
It’s amazing seeing the paradigm shift. While I was diplomatic correspondent for Bangladesh’s oldest daily newspaper, I used to get phone calls occasionally from the readers. Sometimes my readers wanted to know more about events or used to make requests to report on special incidents. On other social occasions, I got the opportunity to interact with my readers and critics. However, after social media hit our desktops, and later cell phones, the landscape totally changed. Interaction with my readers has a new shape. It’s a little hazy and a bit chaotic yet it made the true bridge between myself and my readers. My readers have helped me being social media savvy as I must interact with around ten thousand friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter.
A varied list of news sources seems to be increasingly important nowadays. How would you recommend readers go about getting a wide range of perspectives in their news?
I encourage my readers to be critical about the perspectives they are receiving from the myriad of sources. As a reader myself I think about two scenarios. In the first case, I might be looking for some specific information and I think readers can rely on credible sources which they regularly follow. However, in terms of perspectives, I would request the readers to look at the perspectives of other sources which they don’t investigate on a regular basis. On important occasions, the readers should check multiple sources to get the 360 of perspectives.
What are the major differences between being a journalist in Bangladesh and being a journalist in the United States?
Bangladesh has seen a growth of vibrant media since 2000. The media were able to play a very powerful role in keeping the government in check until the takeover of the army. There was criticism of the government from the left and the right. However, since the beginning of the current regime a decade ago, the media started facing severe challenges. I remember my fellow journalists journalist-couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi, who were killed in the early hours of February 11, 2012, at their rented flat in the capital Dhaka Nine years on, justice remains unattainable. I knew them personally. Many journalists are in prison or exiled in other countries just for free journalism.
The most recent status in terms of Free Press Index; Bangladesh, run by a self-styled fascist government, stands behind war-torn Afghanistan as the country’s position is 152.
In the United States, I can say one thing and that is I enjoy the true meaning of the freedom of the press here. I can go to the house of the most powerful president on the earth and ask him questions on occasions without fear. In contrast to that, in Bangladesh, I would be either put in jail or state agencies would make me disappear forever.
How do you manage the stress of a job that requires long hours and strict deadlines?
Sometimes it is hard to manage. I have readers in a different time zone. If I am late posting news, others will fill in perhaps with misinformation. So, the pressure is high hitting the deadlines. May my passion for journalism keep my spirit high and work late hours!
Can you describe the social culture of the foreign press correspondents located in the United States? Is it very helpful and friendly? Is it overly competitive?
In the foreign press corps, we are from different places, ethnicities, and backgrounds as well as different states of political freedom. Our work makes us friendly and sometimes dependent on each other. If I miss something, sometimes a colleague shares the info with me. I have found the culture more cooperative than competitive. It is true that we all fight to get the best sound bite, want to get my question responded or for exclusive reports; yet we all enjoy the freedom of practicing journalism here. I have seen my colleagues respectful of each other.
What advice do you have for foreign correspondents dealing with homesickness?
If you are not barred from visiting your family for your free-spirited journalism, visit the family once a year. If your country doesn’t allow you to meet family and friends, which happened to me, I think the best shot is regular talks. However, it might not help that much.
What do you see as being the biggest threat to the free press right now?
Massive pressure on the free press is the biggest challenge. State powers do not want information out to the public and do not want to let the public act freely. On top of that, the state agencies are getting involved in distributing misinformation and disinformation. Massive flooding of misinformation is a severe threat.
What is one thing anyone can do to help support free press today?
Consider the contents as valuable products which you don’t see every day, yet it has the most powerful impact on your life. Get engaged as an active reader to remain updated and support free media institutions, those are doing the amazing thankless job of keeping our democracy functional.-Foreign Press
