Kathmandu, May 3

Minister of Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota today said the government would ensure journalists’ security and respect. Addressing a programme organised by the Federation of Nepali Journalists, UNESCO and the Election Commission here today to mark the 16th International Press Freedom Day, he said the government did not have any intention of curtailing press freedom and reiterated that no journalist in the country would suffer just for performing his/her regular duties.

However, he also said that media and press freedom should not be misused to fulfil vested interests of a few individuals.

“Media houses should be responsible towards people,” the minister said, adding that the government would monitor every media house to ensure that minimum wage for working journalists fixed by the government had been implemented. He also took the opportunity to inform that the government was not trying to ban social networking sites. But it was trying to regulate social networking sites as per international practices.

Minister Baskota also urged the media houses to disseminate credible information to earn public trust.

Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Thapaliya said the number of print media and electronic media had increased in Nepal, but quality of news and information disseminated by such media had come down significantly.

Acting Chair of Press Council Nepal Kishor Shrestha, FNJ President Govinda Acharya and FNJ former president Harihar Birahai, among other speakers, said impunity was increasing in the country.

On the occasion, FNJ conferred ‘Press Freedom Fighter Honour’ on FNJ former president Dharmendra Jha and senior journalists Gopal Guragain and Sangeeta Lama.

On the occasion, FNJ also released a magazine on press freedom and an annual report on journalists’ security. The report states that there were 60 incidents of violation of press freedom affecting 77 journalists and five media houses.

It mentions the killing of Manohar Dhakal, a journalist based in Makawanpur who was murdered by drug addicts while returning home from his office. Similarly, it states that 12 journalists were arrested, one is missing, six journalists were taken hostage, 15 journalists came under assault and 25 journalists faced ill-treatment and life threats in 2018-19.

FNJ has stated that although the incidents of violation of press freedom were reported less this year in comparison to last year, situation of press freedom and journalists’ security cannot be considered satisfactory.