Press Council blacklisted four news media; Trinetra weekly, YoHo Television, Koshipost.com and khojtalasonline.com for allegedly publishing contents against the journalistic code of conduct. According to the statement issued on November 10, those media were blacklisted for disobeying the council’s instruction and publishing information without fact-checking.
Similarly, the Council wrote to Nepal Police, Cyber bureau to investigate a YouTube channel Purvanchal dbr TV for sharing misleading contents.
Moreover, the statement issued on November 12 reads- PCN has been conducting special monitoring of social media accounts specially Facebook and YouTube channels both associated or non-associated with media. Those platforms which are associated with news media will be monitored as per the journalist code of conduct and others will be monitored and communicated with Nepal Police for further action if found publishing misleading, obscene contents and those inciting violence.
According to the Council, a separate procedure has been formulated to monitor social media platforms.
Freedom Forum is concerned over Press Council’s statement to regulate contents published on social media platforms. The Council is authorized to regulate news media as per the Journalist code of conduct but monitoring and regulation of social media platforms is beyond its jurisdiction. FF has repeatedly urged the Council to not go beyond its jurisdiction, thereby creating a space to breach citizen’s right to free speech guaranteed by the constitution.