KATHMANDU, Feb 1: The government has drafted a new law to abolish public welfare advertisements for the media. In the draft of the Media Council Bill prepared to replace the Press Council Act, 2048 BS, the provision of public welfare advertisement given by the government has been removed.

Accept the criticisms

February 29, 2020 09:39 am

I wonder why we are so critical of the government and the government is intolerant of criticisms that come from people. Who are critical of the government? They are people whose lives are still in lurch and whose aspirations are still not addressed. They are the media that carry the voices of such people.

KATHMANDU, Feb 21: The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has sought further improvements in the Media Council Bill and Information Technology (IT) Bill before proceeding with the bills.

Media Council as conscience builder

February 20, 2020 09:47 am

All communication scholars across the globe unanimously agree that human beings cannot NOT communicate. Even silence is strong communication among them. Biologically, communication mechanism lies within us. Mentally, intra-psychological communication incessantly occurs within us. Socially, communication is an essential process of co-existential relations and mutual transactions.

KASKI, Feb 17: Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) chair Kamal Thapa has described the amendment to the Media Council Bill and the Information Technology Bill before presenting them to the Parliament as a positive one.

KATHMANDU, Feb 7: The upper house of parliament removed controversial provisions on mandatory licensing for all working journalists and licensing examinations for aspiring new journalists from the much-talked-about Media Council Bill on Thursday.

KATHMANDU, Feb 6: Amid intense pressure from various quarters including the media fraternity, the National Assembly on Thursday endorsed the Medical Council Bill removing provision of conducting licensing examination for journalists.

KATHMANDU, Jan 31: Freedoms came under attack in Nepal in 2019 as the government proposed laws to restrict the right to freedom of expression and subject civil society organizations to greater restrictions, said Amnesty International (AI) in its annual report on events in the Asia-Pacific region.

Amend further

January 29, 2020 09:45 am

Media Council Bill registered in the parliament by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology in May last year was flawed in many respects.  It had the provision of Media Council slapping journalists with a fine of up to one million rupees for “publishing content against the media code of ethics.”

KATHMANDU, Jan 28: The Legislative Committee of the National Assembly has endorsed the much-talked about Nepal Media Council Bill, removing the provision of fining journalists up to Rs 1 million for violating media code of ethics. But the committee has added a new provision to the bill, making it mandatory for journalists to obtain a license for the job.

KATHMANDU, Dec 2: A sub-committee under the Legislative Committee of the upper house has recommended minimizing fines against journalists for breach of media code of ethics in the much talked-about the Media Council Bill.

Righting the wrongs

September 9, 2019 02:05 am

One of the main reasons the government of K P Sharma Oli is receiving public criticism is because it has been introducing one after another controversial bill in the parliament. Most controversial in this regard have been Guthi Bill, Media Council Bill, National Human Rights Commission Bill and National Security Bill. The first was criticized because it had the provisions that political party in power could use or misuse to curtail press freedom or selectively target media houses which disseminate news and views critical of the government.

KATHMANDU, Sept 7: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, has said that government is all committed to creating media-friendly atmosphere.

Time for correction

September 4, 2019 02:00 am

Amendments on media council bill

KATHMANDU, Sept 3: Lawmakers from both ruling and opposition political parties have demanded removal from the proposed Media Council Bill of any fines for journalists violating the journalistic code of conduct.

KATHMANDU, Aug 30: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Banskota has said journalism should not be practised with interest motive.

KATHMANDU, Aug 30: With the government tabling the controversial Media Council Bill in parliament on Thursday, the onus now lies with the parliamentarians whether to ensure press freedom by accommodating the concerns raised by the media fraternity in the new legislation.

KATHMANDU, Aug 29: The government has registered Media Council Bill 2075 at the National Assembly on Thursday.

KATHMANDU, Aug 12: Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Barshaman Pun reiterated that all the controversy over bills including Media Council Bill presented to the federal parliament would be settled through extensive talks with concerned stakeholders.

KATHMANDU, August 6: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Baskota, said talks mentioning that democracy was in crisis just reflected the psychology to create unnecessary fear among the mass.

KATHMANDU, July 10: The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has withdrawn is protest programs after written commitment from the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) leaders to address journalists' concerns over the controversial Media Council Bill registered in parliament.

KATHMANDU, July 5:  Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) is holding a peaceful assembly against the proposed Media Council Bill on Friday afternoon.

DHANGADHI, June 22: The far-western level general assembly of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) concluded here today, calling for the withdrawal of the Media Council Bill.

A long hot summer of protests?

June 12, 2019 07:23 am

KATHMANDU, June 12: There was optimism across the country that protest activities would decline after the formation of a new government with a near two-thirds majority in parliament. The optimism was shared by all the major political forces including the Tarai-based Rastriya Janata Party Nepal and Samajbadi Party Nepal. There was only one national level party, Nepali Congress (NC), that sat in the opposition benches.

GORKHA, June 9: Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba said on Sunday that his party will prevent the government from passing the Nepal Media Council Bill tabled in the Parliament.

KATHMANDU, June 8: Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), the umbrella organization of Nepali journalists, is staging a rally today against the proposed Media Council Bill in the capital on Saturday afternoon.

KATHMANDU, May 26: The ruling Communist Party of Nepal (NCP) leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Bamdev Gautam, has expressed his hope that the media council bill would be corrected as per the demand of media persons.

KATHMANDU, May 25: At a time when journalists and media stakeholders are protesting various provisions in the Media Council Bill now registered in parliament , the press freedom advocacy organization Freedom Forum has suggested amendments to 20 provisions in 15 sections of the bill.

KATHMANDU, May 23: Expressing their concern over the proposed media council bill, the editors of mainstream media have urged the government to withdraw the bill.

KATHMANDU, May 23: The Nepali Congress (NC) has demanded that the government stall the Media Council Bill until the anti-press provisions of the bill are removed.

BIDUR, May 12: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota has assured that the Media Council Bill was being brought for the greater good of journalists. At a press conference organized by Press Chautari Nepal and Press Centre Nepal here today, Minister Banskota shared that new rules would be introduced to ensure journalists’ rights and welfare.