INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Kathmandu, June 18
The Federation of Nepali Journalists today launched its third phase of protest against the Media Council Bill tabled by
the government in the Federal Parliament.
A press statement issued by the FNJ said nationwide signature campaign was initiated to exert
pressure on the government to withdraw the bill that aimed to gag the media
&The FNJ announced the third phase of protest after the government took lightly the first and second phases of its protest programmes,
organised on June 8 and June 12,& the statement read.
The FNJ informed that its central office, district office and associate chapters would
conduct a signature campaign for three days and submit the signatures to Prime Minster KP Sharma Oli through the concerned district
administration
offices, on June 21
It has also appealed all journalists, media, professionals, political parties, civil society, rights activists and general public for their
active participation in the signature campaign.
Section 18 (1) of the new bill stipulates that if any media publish contents in
contravention of the code of conduct, and if an investigation launched after the complaint finds that such news contents had damaged the
reputation of the complainant, the council can impose a fine between Rs 25,000 and one million rupees on media outlets, publishers, editors
The bill has drawn flak from all corners, including journalists and other stakeholders.
Section 17 proposes punishment for violating the
code of conduct, which includes suspending press pass of mediapersons and downgrading the classification of print media outlets.
The
draconian bill also allows a government-controlled Nepal Media Council to replace the existing Press Council Nepal to curtail the press
freedom, instead of empowering it
Stakeholders are also demanding that violation of code of conduct should not be made a serious crime as media themselves should act as
self-regulatory bodies.
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