KATHMANDU, May 3 : Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ on Friday assured total press freedom in Nepal but urged the media to come up with a “self-regulation system” and also stop spreading fake news.
Addressing the 27th general convention of the Federation of Nepali Journalists here, Prachanda recalled the significant contribution made by the Nepali media sector to the establishment of the federal democratic republic, the transformation of the society, and the establishment of people’s rights.
“There will not be any kind of control or curtailment on press freedom,” said Prachanda, who is also the chairman of the ruling CPN-Maoist Centre.
“My request to the press fraternity is to protect the freedom of the press and create an environment conducive for media consumption, along with stopping the spreading of false information,” he said.
Prachanda urged the mass media to develop a “self-regulation system” for checking the publication and transmission of content.
Stating that the FNJ has taken press freedom as the primary issue, the prime minister said press freedom is an inevitable aspect of political freedom as the latter was attained with the participation of the journalism sector.
“The strong basis for measuring if any system is pro-people and democratic is whether or not that system guarantees the freedom of the press and the rights of journalists,” he said.
“Unlike during the time of the monarchical rule, the journalists do not have to go to jail, are not killed, have news content censored and the media is not forced to shut down these days,” he added.
“The Nepali press made a significant contribution even during the armed conflict period, not only in democratic movements of a different era of history, the establishment of republicanism. It also made a positive contribution during the peace process,” he said.
Sharing that the government is aware of the current situation of the Nepali press, and the challenges and problems it has been facing, he expressed the view that the Nepali media industry has become financially weak due to earthquakes, border blockades, COVID-19, and the recent economic crisis.
“The government is committed to taking steps for the capacity building of journalists, creating opportunities for career development and social security, including health treatment,” he said. (PTI)
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