The interaction saw participation of representatives from different media houses, media academicians, researchers and development communication experts. [break]
CPN (UML) Publicity department Chief Pradip Gyanwali said that his party stands for full-fledged press freedom. He further said that under no pretext the state can be allowed to hold the press hostage. Gyanwali maintained that his party opposed foreign investment in media and was against the system which allowed an entrepreneur to own different forms of media. He insisted that media should produce diversified contents to "inform and address diverse ethnic communities."
President of Federation of Nepali Journalists Shiva Gaunle said that media workers in Nepal are facing financial insecurity. “Media houses are unable to provide minimum wages to the media workers,” he said.
Media expert Raghu Mainali said that there should be parallel development of both the media houses and journalists to ensure the prosperity of press. “Media houses are obliged to pay corporate tax, renewal fee, royalty fee, VAT, license fee, and income taxes; which even a beverage company does not pay,” said Mainali. He claimed that the government was imposing different forms of taxes over media to control them.
Asserting that Nepali media were Kathmandu centric, Professor P Kharel said, “Kathmandu centered media produce capital centric information and rest of the country are forced to accept it.”
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