freedom1 Forum organized a Stakeholder’s Discussion program on ‘National Mass Communication Policy’ in Kathmandu on 15th December 2016. It was organized under the project “Support to enable environment for freedom1 of expression in Nepal (SEFEN) – No News Is Bad News” funded by Free Press Unlimited.
At the program, FF Chief Executive Taranath Dahal and advocate Santosh Sigdel presented a paper on study of National Mass Communications Policy, showing various weaknesses in the policy as frequency distribution, license, role of State-owned media, efforts to suppress internet-based media and so on. Unveiling the study report prepared by freedom1 Forum, Advocate Santosh Sigdel covered the issues included in the draft and talked about the government’s carelessness in maintaining the policy. The suggestions were delivered yet there is lack in implementing the policy in practice, he added.
Media expert Dr Ram Krishna Timalsina said time has come for all to mull the implementation of the policy. He cautioned that foreign investment in Nepali media at a time when the country is yet to be stable can’t be a welcome move.
Information Officer at the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Tikaram Pokharel suggested the freedom1 Forum’s team of comparative analysis of the policy to reveal both positive and negative sides of the all media related policies. He complained that the present policy has failed to link itself with the citizen. The policy is mute on social accountability of media, he argued.
Senior radio journalist Raghu Mainali said the policy was guided by negative restrictions. “The policy is full of contradictions- on the one hand, it signals full press freedom1, and while it says even the transport department can operate radio. What’s the logic behind fixing 18 years’ license for radio? Why the provinces are given rights to allocate radio frequency,” he wondered.
Chairman of Independent Film Makers’ Society, Anup Subedi, expressed wonder: “Is film a separate arena or one of the mass communications medium. If it is a mass communications medium, why is film censored in Nepal. ”
Similarly, senior advocate Ram Krishna Nirala said it editorial independence was impossible when the same person is publisher and reporter in a print media.
Advocate Rudra Sharma said the policy speaks very little on social media.
Mass communications teachers at university Lekhnath Pandey and Prakash Acharya said many community radios were badly misused by political leaders. This policy does not speak much about multifaceted issues of mass communications, they claimed.
On the occasion, Coordinator of mass communications high level committee and chairman of Administrative Court Kashiraj Dahal, admitted that how a policy could be a complete document while the national charter itself draws diverse reactions. However, the mass communications policy has made signals for wider communications fraternity. The policy has come in point-wise rather than descriptive manner, he made it clear.
As the investment in media is not transparent, Nepali journalists have suffered a lot, said Vice-Chairperson of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Anita Bindu, wondering to know how the policy has addressed it.
At a time when the stakeholders showed concern over various points, Joint Secretary Ram Chandra Dhakal said all- people, system and law- should be empowered for effective implementation of any policy.
However, he said the Ministry would receive the feedback positively and incorporate them accordingly. “As the policy is a dynamic document, it can be revised as per the need, he added, saying, “I think this policy is not adequate to regulate social media.” According to him, it is a global problem how social media can be regulated.
At the end listening to all the queries and suggestions, Media educator Kundan Aryal pointed out that irresponsible character of Political leaders led to the ineffective media policy and hence, they should be serious about the formulation and implementation of media policy.
Concluding the discussion, FF’s Chief Executive Dahal said, “The program’s main aim was to focus on weaknesses and possible areas of amendment of policy and the recommendations gathered from discussions will be duly submitted to National Planning Commission and Ministry of Information and Communication.”
The program was attended by total 55 participants from multifarous sectors: Ministry of Information and Communication (MOIC), NIFS, Legal Authorities (Advocate, Attorney Office), representatives from FNJ, representatives from Nepal Press Council, academia, media experts and freelance journalists and other researchers.