NEPAL: Activists concerned with disturbances in media houses

Media leaders want to see current media problems solved by implementation of newly-passed acts

Nepal News
Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Press freedom activists have expressed serious concern over the continued disruption in various media bodies due to strike by Maoist affiliated unions and sacking of the journalists from the government owned Gorkhapatra daily.

In an interaction organised by South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) Nepal chapter in the capital Tuesday, the media leaders said it was unfortunate to see disturbances in media after the restoration of democracy in the country.

Murari Siwakoti of Nepal Press Union (NPU) said though the parties had agreed to reinstate the journalists sacked by the royal regime, they remain mute at a time job security of the journalists, who fought for democracy, remain fickle.

Vice president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Shiva Gaunle claimed most of the problems seen currently in media would get solved if the recently passed Right to Information Act and amended Working Journalists Act (WJA) are effectively implemented.

He said faith in certain political principles should not be the criteria for the media managers while recruiting journalists and claimed that sacking of journalists from Gorkhapatra was motivated by political affiliation of the journalists.

He suggested a mechanism to recruit journalists in government media so that the political interference of the parties in the government would come down.

Chairman of the Press Council Nepal Rajendra Dahal said the Nepali media is facing the biggest challenge in its history, more grave than during the direct rule of the king and that all the current incidents are directly related to political changes.

President of press Chautari Nepal Bal Krishna Chapagai said press freedom activists should also show their concern on sacking of journalists from Rastriya Samachar Samiti (national news agency). He said the problems would not get solved unless the media owners agree to implement the WJA act sincerely.

While member of the interim parliament, Raghuji Pant, who played major role in passing the RTI Act and WJA, informed that the WJA also covers union rights to staffers in media houses other than journalists, Nepal Press Institute chairman Gokul Pokhrel said the current problems are also linked with labour laws, whose implementation has not been effective in the media business.

Acting secretary of the information ministry Sharkar Sharma informed that the works for drafting the regulation for both the acts and formation of a National Communication Commission (NCC) are underway.

Former FNJ president Harihar Birahi stressed the need for change in mentality of media owners and exercising rights and responsibilities on part of the working journalist.

Since a few days, due to strike by the Maoist affiliated unions, the transmission of HBC FM has been put off and publication and distribution of The Himalayan Times and Annapurna Post is disrupted. Similarly, the management of the Gorkhapatra has sacked some four dozen journalists.

The journalists organised a two-hour sit-in protest in front of the information ministry yesterday against the dismissal.

In the meantime, Young Communist League (YCL) cadres entered the office of Dristi Weekly and threatened journalists working there. According to the weekly, the YCL cadres also attempted to abduct journalist Madhu Basnet.

Date Posted: 8/15/2007