Kathmandu, August 17:

Media activists today said journalists themselves were responsible for not having the 11-year old Working Journalist Act implemented in media organisations.

“Journalists have not been able to raise their voices for their rights resulting in hundreds of journalists in dozens of media organisations working without payment and professional security,” said Suresh Acharya, a former president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists.

Acharya was addressing a programme at Martin Chautari.

“The media owners are also not interested in implementing the WJA fearing that the rules would bind them,” he said. Although it is the duty of the government to implement and monitor laws in the country, it has not paid attention to implement the WJA, he said.

“In addition, Press Union, a Nepali Congress-affiliated union of journalists has been against the WJA from the beginning just because the law was introduced when the UML was in government,” he said.

On the other hand, KP Dhungana, the secretary of Working Journalist Struggle Committee said, “lack of unity among journalists has helped others take advantage of them, but the journalists have always been helpless when they really needed help.”

Reappointment of journalists is possible if they unite to fight for a cause, he said. “We fought for the radio owners during the King’s direct rule and the FM radios have now been able to air news again. Democracy has allowed broadcasting of news but journalists there are still suffering,” he said.

He also criticised FNJ for not taking any bold decision to support the struggling journalists.