Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists Media (NEFEJ) has urged the School Management Committee under the National Assembly of Federal Parliament to approve the bill related to Nepal Media Council after correcting the errors.
NEFEJ urged the School Management Committee during a meeting held recently to discuss the provisions of the bill formed to amend and unify the regulations related to Nepal Media Council registered by the government at the Parliament.
On the occasion, General Secretary at the NEFEJ Nimesh Regmi said that the code of conduct is the matter to be followed by the journalists and media houses munificently but the government has presented this as the regulations in the bill.
Arguing that the proposed provision to suspend the press pass of media persons for violating the code of conduct does not fall under the jurisdiction of Media Council, he said that this provision will restrain the jurisdiction of Department of Information.
The proposed provision has stated that the Media Council can impose monetary punishment ranging from Rs 25,000 to one million rupees on media outlets, publishers, editors and reports for violating the journalists’ code of conduct.
Saying that the provision has made the Media Council like the court, General Secretary Regmi said that this will curtail the freedom of press and expression guaranteed by the constitution and urged the government to completely remove this provision from the bill.
He said that the press freedom will be restrained if this provision is kept in the bill and the media fraternity will not accept this at any cost. Similarly, he suggested that the provision pertaining to the qualification of chairperson and other members should also be increased.
Regmi had also suggested the government on various other provisions on behalf of NEFEJ. He suggested ensuring women participation in Press Council, make Recommendation Committee effective, boost the qualification of chairperson and members among others.
Former Chairperson of Press Council senior journalist Rajendra Dahal said that the name Media Council Proposed in the bill is itself a big question. He said that the government should clarify why Media Council should replace the existing Press Council.
Saying that almost all the issues in the bill has been connected to the Prime Minister but the name has been given as Media Council, he said that those who had prepared the draft of the bill are found to have been in dilemma about the difference of press and media.
He said that though the Media Council has been formed in some countries, the context of those countries do not match with Nepal. Hence, he urged the government to think about the issue.
Underlining that the regulations and code of conduct are two different issues, Dahal said that the regulations has not paid attention to this side.
Meanwhile, School Management Committee member Chanda Chapagain said that they are ready to address the demands of NEFEJ and to further prosper the bill.
Committee member Prakash Pantha said that they have argued with the government on every bill and have compelled the government to rewrite 70 percent provisions of bill.
Saying that the government should hold consultations with the concerned stakeholders before endorsing the bill, he said that the concerned stakeholders knew about the bill after it is registered at the Parliament.
NEFEJ Chairman Kosmos Bishwokarma said that the Media Council should be developed as the agency to bridge the gap between media fraternity and government instead of the governing body. Saying that no one should budge from the basic principles of Press Council, he said that they had fought for the press freedom in the past and are ready to fight in the future also.
