KATHMANDU: President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Bipul Pokharel has urged the media persons to prioritize disseminating positive news in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that such news would help boost the morale of the audiences.
The newly elected President of the umbrella organization of journalists in the country said so in a discussion virtually organized by FNJ, Bagmati Province Committee here Thursday.
In the discussion themed ‘Role of the Media Persons and Compliance of the Code of Conduct in the Current Situation’, FNJ President Pokharel weighed in that the media persons were playing an important role in the ongoing pandemic.
Similarly, senior vice-president of the FNJ Ramesh Bista opined that the journalists should bring to fore the COVID-19 response efforts, especially the works undertaken to prevent the pandemic and echoed with Pokharel that positive news should be given more space in the media.
Likewise, general-secretary Roshan Puri reaffirmed the FNJ’s cooperation those media persons contracting COVID-19 for their treatment and compensation.
Also speaking in the event, Shiva Devkota, president of the FNJ Bagmati Province, FNJ central committee members Ramesh Khatiwada, Sunil Khadka and Minimum Wage Fixation Determination Committee member Bimala Pandey among others had univocally spoken of the need for the province to play a special role in the treatment of the COVID-19 infected media persons in the country.
Over 750 media persons were reported to have contracted the flu-like infection as of May 16 this year since the pandemic broke out in the country. Among the infected ones, 13 journalists have succumbed to the deadly infection, the FNJ said.
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