KATHMANDU: Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has urged media outlets to base election-related news and information strictly on official sources for the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5.
Speaking at an orientation program on the House of Representatives Election Code of Conduct 2026, organized by Public Service Broadcasting Nepal, Bhandari cautioned against the spread of misleading information during the election period.
He said citizens need accurate and factual information at this time, stressing that the media have a critical role not only in following the election code of conduct but also in helping ensure its enforcement.
“I request media outlets to rely on official sources as much as possible while reporting election-related news,” Bhandari said.
He also noted that the misuse of advanced platforms, including artificial intelligence (AI) tools, has led to the circulation of audio-visual content on social media that can damage individuals’ reputations. In response, Bhandari said the Election Commission is preparing to sign agreements with social media companies such as Meta and TikTok to better manage such content.
At the same event, Election Commission Secretary Krishna Bahadur Raut said monitoring compliance with the election code of conduct is also a responsibility of the media. He said state-owned media outlets,including Nepal Television, Radio Nepal and the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), must be especially accountable in disseminating accurate and official information to the public.
Raut praised RSS for formulating an internal election code of conduct and encouraged other media houses to adopt similar practices.
Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Laxmi Kumari Basnet, said the media play a vital role in ensuring citizens receive correct information and in contributing to the success of the upcoming election.
Public Service Broadcasting Nepal Chairperson Dr Mahendra Bista urged journalists to adhere to both the election code of conduct and the journalists’ code of ethics. He stressed the need for self-assessment among media professionals to ensure compliance and called on journalists to maintain neutrality by refraining from promoting any party, candidate or ideology on social media.
Nepal Television has already conducted orientation sessions on the election code of conduct for its reporters across the country through video conferencing.
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