Digitally Right partnered with the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) to conduct Bangladesh’s first-ever disinformation risk assessment of the country’s online news ecosystem. The project aimed to evaluate the editorial and operational transparency of leading news domains and assess their vulnerability to disinforming the public.
The study analyzed 33 of the most influential Bangladeshi news websites, using GDI’s independent and evidence-based risk-rating methodology. It looked at factors such as accuracy policies, byline and sourcing transparency, editorial independence, and ownership disclosure. While the majority of outlets scored relatively well in content quality and neutrality, the findings revealed that all 33 domains carried a medium to high disinformation risk—largely due to missing or opaque operational policies.
The report titled “Disinformation Risk Assessment: The Online News Market in Bangladesh” was launched through a virtual event on March 28, 2023, featuring senior journalists, editors, academics, and researchers. The panel underscored the urgent need for greater transparency, improved media accountability, and the adoption of universal standards of journalistic integrity, such as those outlined by the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI).
The project provided media outlets, advertisers, and policy actors with a framework to identify and reduce disinformation risks, while encouraging a more trustworthy and sustainable digital media environment in Bangladesh.
