Press Council under fire for grilling editors over minor technical errors

Published On: August 20, 2018 08:44 PM NPT By: Republica | @RepublicaNepal

KATHMANDU, Aug 20: Press Council, an autonomous and independent media regulatory body, has courted controversy for grilling Guna Raj Luitel, Editor-in-Chief of Nagarik National Daily over minor technical mistakes.

Media experts have criticized the council saying that it has grilled Luitel for making minor mistakes.

According to a press note issued by the council on Sunday, Nagarik Pashchimeli, Nagarik Pashchimeli edition, which is published from Nepalgunj, on June 2, had published a news headlined Jagadishpur to be made a model city of Nepal with the photo of Ishwar Pokharel as the chief minister. There should have been the photo of Chief Minister Shankar Pokharel in the news.

Council summoned Luitel this morning three months after the news was published to hold face-to-face talks with the complainant over the technical error.

Council has drawn flacks from all quarters for its action against Luitel over minor technical mistakes.

“Press Council summoned Editor-in-Chief Gunaraj Luitel for minor technical typos that mistakenly published Ishwar Pokharel instead of Shankar Pokhrel. A serious case, Lol!” Digital media expert Ujjwal Acharya tweeted, ridiculing the council.

Aside from Luitel, Council had also summoned Akhanda Bhandari, Editor of Annapurna Daily, for publishing news titled “Cheating under cover of rights” published on March 15.