KATHMANDU: Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) Chair Dharmendra Jha has described information and journalism as a backbone of democracy.
In his address to a media orientation program on ‘the role of media in the elections to the Member to the House of Representatives and the Province Assembly (PA)-2022,’ here today, he said democracy could not sustain in the absence of information and journalism.
He urged media persons to practice journalism by abiding by the journalist code of conduct and the election code of the conduct as well when the countdown for the voting for twin elections has already begun. He informed the program that the RSS had also prepared and implemented in-house code of conduct in view of the HoR and PA elections. It may be noted that the EC is conducting the voting for the elections simultaneously on November 20.
He went on to say that there was no excuse for journalists to remain unaware of the code of conduct and violate them. As he said, journalist should understand politics and should not exercise it. They are not expected to carry the flag of any political parties and to be politically biased and influenced while reporting and disseminating media contents.
“In addition, character assassination, defamation and violation of human rights in journalism are not accepted,” he said, highlighting on the need of news reporting in an impartial way to promote professional journalism.
Credibility, impartiality, balanced, accountability and use of conscience are basic characteristic of professional journalism, according to him.
According to Chair Jha, at present 60 percent media contents are found on social sites and the understating of the gravity of the issue and impartially should be the priorities of journalists when we are facing the flood of news.
He urged journalists to cultivate the practice of querying to hone journalism skills.
District Election Office, Bhaktapur’s Chief Narendra Prasad Neupane sought media cooperation to hold the election successfully while Chief District Officer, Rudra Devi Sharma, Chief Election Office, Gopal Prasad Bastola, Federation of Nepali Journalists ( FNJ) Bhaktapur chair Jagat Prajapati highlighted on the role of journalists for making the elections free and impartial.
Comment