INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, November 10
The eighth plenary meeting of Federation of Nepali Journalists has decided to carry out special central mission in
all provinces from mid-January 2020 for press freedom, safety of journalists and implementation of the Working Journalist Act and
journalistic code of conduct.
A press release issued by FNJ after its two-day plenary meeting said the umbrella organisation of journalists
would reject any anti-press law presented or being presented at the Parliament, and lobby would with concerned authorities and stakeholders
to make law concerning media, press-friendly
&Any law containing provisions that control and curtail freedom of expression would be unacceptable and FNJ is determined to fight for
safeguarding the basic principles of free press,& it read
Earlier, FNJ and media fraternity had taken serious objection to the provisions in the Media Council Bill which they said were intended to
curtail press freedom and were against the international norms and values of right to freedom of expression
FNJ has decided to organise public discussion with the stakeholders on cautionary measures to be taken by media to respect individual
privacy and refrain from publishing and broadcasting fake news that ferment communal violence.
FNJ has also demanded that the government
recognise Nepali media as service industry and provide facilities accordingly, ensure proportional distribution of government advertisements
and grant permission for journalists to enter Singh Durbar with identity cards issued by FNJ
&The government should ensure that working journalists are entitled to enjoy the facilities as provisioned by the act,& it said.
According
to FNJ, it is set to launch stringent protest programmes against media houses which are reluctant to implement the act and the provisions of
minimum salary for working journalists
FNJ has been urging the government to implement the act
It has also been urging the media houses to respect the work of journalists time and again
It observed that working journalists were entitled to appointment letter, salary and facilities as stipulated by the act
Some journalists had been facing problems to obtain press accreditation card as the concerned media houses failed to submit information such
as designation of journalists and their monthly salary structure to the Department of Information and Broadcasting, said FNJ.
The post FNJ
to launch special mission for press freedom from January appeared first on The Himalayan Times.
