“Private self-censorship” as the Achilles’ heel of journalistic professionalism: Evidence from Bangladesh

Employing qualitative approach, this exploratory study analyzed spontaneous statements, writings and published interviews of 37 Bangladeshi journalists to examine what types of self-censoring factors make Bangladeshi journalists exercise self-censorship. This study identifies six factors that drive self-censorship among Bangladeshi journalists. It introduces the novel concept of private and public self-censorship to the field of journalism studies. The forces are legal barrier, governmental/ruling party interference/pressure, ownership structure, advertising, individual journalists’ partisanship/ideology and religion. The distinction between these two types of self-censorship enabled a more nuanced exploration of the factors critical to journalistic practice. The study reveals that private self-censorship, which insidiously affects journalistic objectivity and professionalism, appears to be the Achilles’ heel of Bangladeshi journalism.