The Financial Express (FE), the country's first and largest-circulated English financial daily, steps into the 30th year of its publication today (Thursday).
On this auspicious occasion, we express our gratitude to our valued readers, contributors, patrons, well-wishers, advertisers and relevant others for the unalloyed support they have extended to us for nearly three decades. On the part of FE, it would have been impossible to overcome the odds and march forward without such support.
The FE's venture as a financial daily was the maiden one in uncharted waters. Initially, many in the country's media world had doubted its survival prospect. But the newspaper has proved the doubters wrong, survived all odds and carved out a niche market.
The FE, from the beginning, has tried to remain committed to the principles of fair and objective journalism. However, our valued readers are to judge whether the Fe has been able to stick to that.
The FE's long journey has not been trouble-free. The Covid pandemic had hit its normal operations hard for many months. It was more of an uncertain time, as none was sure about the return of normalcy.
Every newspaper saw a notable drop in circulation and revenue since many readers had stopped buying their print versions for fear of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for causing one of the most dreaded diseases.
With the pandemic making a retreat, normalcy has returned to most parts of the world, including Bangladesh. People have started coming back to print newspapers, albeit at a slow pace. Online and social media had emerged as a threat to print media before the pandemic. The onslaught of the virus has only broadened the trend. So, life will be not that easy for the print media in the coming years.
If not anything else, the ongoing global economic crisis, triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, is seen as a bolt from the blue for the world trying to stage a comeback from the uncertain days of the pandemic. Global food and energy crises have put many countries in deep trouble, with inflation soaring rapidly. Businesses are experiencing a downswing at home for a number of reasons, including erosion in people's purchasing power. The developments have also made a dent in the revenue earnings of the country's media world when their cost of production has soared abnormally following a substantial rise in printing materials, including newsprint.
We can, however, pin hope on the indomitable spirit of Bangladesh people to fight the odds and emerge victorious in the end. The notable growth of the economy achieved in recent years remains a testimony to that fact. A new class of entrepreneurs, mostly young ones, has emerged and done wonders, particularly in the agricultural sector. They have learnt to overcome the psychological barriers to taking up ventures in rural areas and weigh the economic activities in the light of their dividend-paying ability.
Still, some issues are slowing the efforts to reach a new height. The policymakers sitting at the top echelon need to address those urgently. Hopefully, they will do their part. If that happens, the journey of the media could be a bit smoother.
