Media Policy Op-Eds

Government wants media to toe its line

The government on May 9 registered the Media Council Bill in the Parliament proposing formation of Nepal Media Council. The council, according to the bill, can impose a fine of...

The Himalayan Times प्रकाशित मिति   जेष्ठ ६, २०७६ गते

Spokespersons, please step aside

Considering the regular manner in which Prime Minister KP Oli defends individuals, he might be tempted to create and justify the new Ministry of Individual Defence exclusively to defend cabinet...

P Kharel/The Kathmandu Post प्रकाशित मिति   जेष्ठ ६, २०७६ गते

The Media Council Bill further endangers press freedom

Last week, bypassing an important deliberation phase with stakeholders and the public, the government quietly presented the Media Council bill to Parliament. The Media Council bill, which aims to replace the existing...

The Kathmandu Post/ Editorial प्रकाशित मिति   बैशाख ३१, २०७६ गते

Don’t gag the press

he government’s bid to control the media through a new bill that has just been registered in the Parliament has kicked up a storm already, and it would be in...

The Himalayan Times प्रकाशित मिति   बैशाख ३०, २०७६ गते

Responsible Media

It goes without saying that media plays a vital role in bringing about positive changes in the society. As the responsible media catalyses desired changes by providing the information that...

The Rising Nepal प्रकाशित मिति   बैशाख २६, २०७६ गते

Social Media Threats Loom Large

Niranjan Sahoo The traditional media – both print and electronic – have long had an outsize influence on the election outcomes in India. Political parties and aspiring candidates for public...

Niranjan Sahoo प्रकाशित मिति   बैशाख २५, २०७६ गते

The fourth estate

It is not possible to celebrate freedom when you are not free. A new report by the Freedom Forum--a civil liberty group--has revealed that Nepal has become increasingly intolerant of...

The Kathmandu Post /Editorial प्रकाशित मिति   बैशाख २०, २०७६ गते

Media freedom protects and supports us all

Until 30 years ago, miners used to take canaries down into mineshafts to act as an early warning system for deadly gas. When the canaries were alive and well, the...

Richard Morris / The Kathmandu Post प्रकाशित मिति   बैशाख २०, २०७६ गते

Delusion of democracy

Sometime in the fall of last year, the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology banned digital pornography in Nepal using Article 121 of the Criminal Code, which states, ‘The Internet...

Bimal Pratap Shah/ The Kathmandu Post प्रकाशित मिति   चैत्र २५, २०७५ गते

Emancipate the social networks: Avoid arbitrary control

Ever since the Information Technology Bill, 2019 was registered in the House of Representatives by the government on February 14, there have been debates regarding various provisions in it and...

Prabhat Chhetri/ THe Himalayan Times प्रकाशित मिति   चैत्र ११, २०७५ गते

Don’t stifle dissent

There is growing concern among human rights groups, both regional and global, that the new legislation regarding social media use, which has been tabled in the Federal Parliament, is meant...

The Himalayan Times प्रकाशित मिति   फाल्गुन २७, २०७५ गते

While the government is keen to set limits, new media has the potential to lead public discourse

Feb 22, 2019- Nepali folk singer Pashupati Sharma received a lot of attention this past week for his new single Lootna sake loota (loot if you can), but not in...

Mohan Guragain/ The Kathmandu Post प्रकाशित मिति   फाल्गुन १४, २०७५ गते

Hard to say

Feb 15, 2019- In yet another attempt to shrink and possibly shut down spaces for freedom of expression, the government has proposed a new law that seeks to introduce harsh...

The Kathmandu Post प्रकाशित मिति   फाल्गुन ३, २०७५ गते

Many muzzles

Editorial Recently, officials from Province 2 have drafted an ‘Integrated Communication Bill-2075’ that criminalises ‘offenses of the media’. The vaguely-worded bill includes provisions that would allow the provincial government to...

The Kathmandu Post प्रकाशित मिति   माघ २९, २०७५ गते

Case for clean feed policy

Clean feed policy can set up the base for fair competition between products that are manufactured in Nepal versus those imported. It has been implemented in almost every country in...

Punit Sarda and Aashish Chalise/ Republica प्रकाशित मिति   पुस ३०, २०७५ गते

A tightened muzzle

- BHANU BHAKTA ACHARYA Jan 4, 2019- When the government with a two-thirds majority in Parliament started to rule the country, the general public held high hopes for full press freedom...

Bhanu Bhakta Acharya/ The Kathmandu Post प्रकाशित मिति   पुस २०, २०७५ गते

Stop bullying media

Nepali political parties and their leaders have one consistent take on media: They express commitment to press freedom and make it a part of their policy. They appreciate media when...

Republica प्रकाशित मिति   मंसिर ११, २०७५ गते

Fury against media

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli often refers to his 14 years of imprisonment during the Panchayat regime “for the sake of democracy,” but his working strategies and actions of his...

Bhanu Bhakta Acharya/ Republica प्रकाशित मिति   मंसिर ११, २०७५ गते

Cabinet decisions must be transparent

The government of K P Sharma Oli on Sunday committed such an action, which, if this is what the government is bent on doing in the days to come as...

Republica प्रकाशित मिति   कार्तिक २८, २०७५ गते

Not disclosing cabinet decisions a huge setback for freedom of info

Nov 14: The way Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gokul Banskota responded to a crowd of reporters desperately waiting to learn about the decisions of a Cabinet meeting the...

Taranath Dahal/ Republica प्रकाशित मिति   कार्तिक २८, २०७५ गते