KATHMANDU, April 5: Various journalist organizations have warned that they will launch protests if the government does not revoke its directive restricting financial support to private media, a move they say threatens the survival of independent journalism. The directive, issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on April 1 has drawn sharp criticism. Ram Prasad Dahal, General Secretary of the Nepal Journalists’ Federation, said the government must clarify its commitment to press freedom and warned that journalists are prepared to take strong action if the decision is not withdrawn.
Senior lawyer Dinesh Tripathi described the government’s decision as legally and constitutionally flawed under both Nepali and international law. He said that protecting citizens’ rights is only possible under full press freedom and that restricting media funding puts the survival of media outlets at risk. Shiva Lamsal, president of the Nepal Press Union, emphasized that suppressing media is unacceptable and warned the government against actions that violate press and citizen freedoms, noting that newspapers, magazines, and FM radios could be forced to close nationwide.
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Other representatives also raised concerns. Manoj Ghartimagar, General Secretary of Press Center Nepal, said the directive could result in unemployment for more than 200,000 journalists and media staff. Nawaraj Neupane, coordinator of the People’s Volunteer Journalists Forum, highlighted the risk of FM radio closures and demanded investigation into corruption in government advertising tenders. Anant Mainali, Executive Director of the Nepal Advertising Association, warned that the decision undermines the rights of advertising agencies that work with both private and government media, calling the government’s sudden move unlawful and unacceptable. The journalist groups urged the government to immediately withdraw the directive to avoid confrontation and preserve press freedom.
