KATHMANDU, July 19

The media fraternity on sunday said it was unfortunate that the Working Journalist Act was not implemented despite the passage of two decades since the introduction of the Act.

At an interaction on ‘Role of Media in Nationalism and Federalism’ organised by Nepal Journalists and Writers’ Society here on sunday, speakers complained that some media outlets were employing journalists without appointment letters and salary, but not implementing the Act.

The participants expressed worry that some of the media houses had not paid working journalists for six or seven months.

Press Council Nepal’s Chairman Borna Bahadur Karki said the media was becoming a profitable business in recent times, so transparency in media was essential. Karki added that with bigger newspapers earning more profit the smaller ones were shutting down.

Nepal Intellectual Forum’s Chairman KB Rokaya complained that many journalists were writing news stories without discovering facts, and were not based on investigation and independent sources.

On the occasion, senior journalists Prem Kaidi and Ram Chandra Humagain warned that on sunday’s journalism was verging more on publicity stunts and driven by political interest.