Kathmandu, January 30

Government officials and experts have stressed on determining the qualification and classification of journalists in the country so as to curb growing incidents of violation of journalistic code of conduct.

Borna Bahadur Karki, chairperson of Nepal Press Council, highlighted why journalists engaged in such a highly sensitive field should be qualified and eligible from every angle.

He said the press regulatory body was mulling over the provision of conducting exams before issuing press accreditation card to journalists.

Nepal Press Council is a statutory body set up by the government to promote the standards of free press in a democratic society and to advise the government on matters relating to the development of healthy and credible journalism.

“When all the other fields require special qualification to obtain licence or become a legal practitioner, we should also make a provision of an exam of similar sorts to issue press accreditation card,” he said. He added that it was high time that journalism was made a systematic and decent profession.

President of Federation of Nepali Journalists and member of Nepal Press Council Mahendra Bista laid emphasis on the need for both academic qualification and training to be a working journalist, and pledged to extend necessary cooperation to Nepal Press Council’s efforts.

They aired such views while discussing a working paper titled ‘Qualification Determination and Classification of Journalists: A Contemporary Issue’ presented by Ram Krishna Timalsena, former registrar of the Supreme Court, at a programme organised in the capital yesterday.

Speakers at the programme urged Nepal Press Council, Department of Information and FNJ to work in coordination so as to regulate the distribution of press accreditation card to the deserving candidates.

They also expressed concern about distribution of the cards like a commodity and urged the authorities to ascertain genuine journalists to prevent the misuse of press card.