Time and again, Press Council Nepal has written to the online media to furnish clarification over the news content. The Council, however, has not disclosed noticeable evidence of violence or incitement through media content it has alleged of. Lately, it issued a press statement ordering 17 online media to furnish clarification over their contents within 24 hours on November 22. The Council also mentioned on its statement that it had written to the registered online media to furnish clarification over the news they published. For those media not listed at the Council, it has ordered to remove their contents. According to the statement, Press Council's action is based on its media monitoring where the mentioned media allegedly violated code of conduct, published contents inciting violence and disturbing social harmony. So, the Council has written to the listed media to send clarification within 24 hours of the issuance of notice. Similarly, the media content regulatory bodies states that other media unlisted at the Council have also circulated their contents using social media pages which have fueled violence, hate speech and are against code of conduct. So, these media are asked to remove their contents. Freedom Forum is concerned over the Council's move to ask media to remove their contents. Executive Chief of Freedom Forum, Taranath Dahal, observes, "Press Council Nepal has been misused repeatedly that intends to suppress media and free expression. Hasty allegation on media is sheer discredit. Without sufficient research and evidence on media content, Council's allegation has adverse role in fostering press freedom."
Freedom Forum is a prominent non-governmental organization in Nepal dedicated to institutionalizing democracy, protecting and promoting human rights, press freedom, freedom of expression, right to information, promoting audit accountability, open and accountable budget, public finance reforms, citizen engagement in public finance management and citizen participation in audit. Established in February 2005, the organization emerged in response to the political turmoil following Former King Gyanendra’s coup dated February 1, 2005, which imposed severe restrictions on media and democratic rights. A group of media professionals, legal experts, and academics founded Freedom Forum to safeguard Nepal’s hard-earned democratic freedoms during this repressive period.
