Journalism will face an existential threat if media prioritise profit over investigation: Dawn editor

Dawn editor Zaffar Abbas has said that many media organisations in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan are increasingly prioritising profit over investigative journalism, and this trend would endanger the very existence of journalism.

He made the remarks this morning, Friday, during the first session of the two-day international “Bangladesh Journalism Conference 2026” held at a hotel in the capital.

The conference has been organised by Media Resources Development Initiative (MRDI).

Speaking about the experience of the newspaper he edits, Zaffar Abbas said Dawn had published many major investigative reports and had also paid a price for them. One of Pakistan’s bravest journalists had produced a series of reports against a powerful real-estate businessman. In response, the businessman published full-page advertisements against Dawn in other newspapers.

Sadly, Abbas said, other newspapers agreed to publish those advertisements out of greed for money.

The discussion also touched on the issue of self-censorship in the media.

Zaffar Abbas said self-censorship is far more dangerous than direct control. Under direct control, the public can at least be told that something cannot be published because of military rule or an authoritarian regime. But under self-censorship, there is no way even to tell people that an important report exists but is not being published.

This invisible pressure, he said, is the most difficult problem.

Zaffar Abbas further said that investigative journalism would not survive if media owners become accustomed to self-censorship.

In this context, he noted that the core task of investigative journalism is to expose corruption in the private sector or state institutions. If this trend continues in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other countries, it will have terrifying consequences for journalism.

Former Toronto Star editor Michael Cooke said investigative journalism is the most important form of journalism. Alongside deep analysis and commentary, investigative reporting is what distinguishes one newsroom from all others. Producing such reports requires not only the courage of journalists, but also the unwavering support of editors, owners and lawyers.

Major investigations, he said, are never the work of a single individual alone.

Michael Cooke said journalists stand for democracy and work against corruption and secrecy. As defenders of democracy, investigative journalists and their editors continue to fight on the front lines.