Why did the lamp of light in the darkness go out?
Mohammad Samir: There was a time when people would light up their eyes just by hearing the word journalist.
Being acquainted with or friends with journalists meant pride, respect, and a kind of security. Because then, journalists meant a loud voice against injustice, a pen of protest against corruption, and a lamp of light in the darkness.
But today, that journalism is disappearing fast.
Now, anyone can become a journalist just by having a press card in their hand.
People who show off their press cards at street corners, police stations, courts, and even social gatherings are no longer unknown. However, most of them have no basic knowledge of journalism, no responsibility towards society, and only have an accounting of opportunism.
These scumbag journalists are taking away the true dignity of journalism.
Today, people are no longer proud to see journalists, but rather ask themselves, is this really a journalist or a card player?
Many of them take bribes from local influential people, exert influence in the market and ports, and get benefits by showing their press cards in any problem. As a result, real journalists are being cornered.
On the other hand, real journalists are in the most helpless situation. Many do not get paid for months. If they honestly reveal the truth, they face lawsuits, attacks, and threats. Many have lost their jobs just for writing against influential people.
Recent incidents of attacks, threats, and harassment against journalists in different parts of the country prove how narrow the space for telling the truth has become.
Journalism was once the fourth pillar of society, a place of trust and confidence for people. But today it is slowly collapsing. Real journalists are being cornered, and the card kings are coming to the fore.
Journalism was a lamp of light in the darkness. Sadly, that lamp is going out today.
Some are deliberately extinguishing it, while others are selling it themselves in exchange for petty interests.
