Self-censorship, political pressure and financial constraints are threatening press freedom and public trust in journalism, speakers said at the Bengal Delta Conference 2026 in Dhaka.
Journalists from Bangladesh, India and Nepal urged news organizations to establish stronger systems of self-regulation, accountability and sustainable financing.
“We have to find mechanisms within the media for self-regulation,” Indian journalist Suhasini Haider said.
Kamal Ahmed, head of the Media Reform Commission formed during the interim government, said journalists, media owners and managers broadly supported such a framework.
“We need to be transparent and accountable for responsible journalism,” Ahmed said.
Nepali journalist and publisher Kanak Mani Dixit warned that governments would continue attempting to suppress independent reporting. Haider said self-censorship had become a major threat and urged journalists to report from the ground, provide context and hold powerful institutions accountable. She also called for readers to provide a larger share of media revenue.