KATHMANDU: The Federation of Nepali Journalists has urged the central, provincial and local governments to formulate media-friendly laws.

A central committee meeting of the FNJ, which concluded yesterday, took a decision to this effect. The meeting was chaired by FNJ President Govinda Acharya.

FNJ General Secretary Ramesh Bista said the meeting decided to urge the governments at all the three levels to formulate media-friendly laws. According to him, the meeting also sought to demand formulation of special laws to protect journalists and mass media.

The FNJ central committee decided to move ahead in an effective manner based on the policy and plan of action, seeking implementation of the Working Journalists Act, which the FNJ had endorsed through its Dhulikhel and Janakpur meetings.

The meeting also called for the implementation of the model Mass Communication Act drafted by the FNJ for ensuring press freedom and freedom of expression.

Likewise, the umbrella organisation of Nepali journalists has demanded that some provisions in the civil and criminal codes be made congenial to the press as these were against press freedom and the freedom of expression.

It has called for minimising incidents of violation of press freedom and taking action against those involved in such incidents. It stated that 59 incidents of violations of press freedom had taken place in a year’s time.

The FNJ has also demanded that the government effectively implement all kinds of social security programmes and health insurance for journalists.