KATHMANDU: Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, has urged journalists not to become emotional over the Media Council Bill, assuring that the government will treat the media sector no differently from other sectors of society.
Speaking at an interaction program organized by Press Chautari Nepal on the provisions of the bill, Minister Gurung said journalists’ objections to the appointment recommendation process outlined in the bill were unwarranted.
“It is not necessary that journalists alone must represent all press-related institutions,” Gurung said. “As the Council is a regulatory body, the provision allowing the appointment of a former judge as chairperson is appropriate.”
He dismissed the notion that recommendations made by ministers would be politically influenced while those by the Speaker or the President would not, calling such thinking flawed.
The minister also remarked that anyone aspiring to become the Council’s chairperson should be willing to undergo examinations and interviews, arguing that it was unreasonable to demand that the head of a regulatory body be exempt from such processes.
He called on Press Chautari to study the bill in detail and provide constructive feedback to the government rather than reacting emotionally.
Press Chautari Chairperson Ganesh Pandey said the interaction was organized with the aim of ensuring the bill becomes non-controversial and maximizes journalists’ interests.
Former President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, Shiva Gaunle, suggested that the Council, modeled after press complaint councils worldwide, should ensure substantial representation of media consumers.
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