KATHMANDU: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Bikram Timilsina on Friday said the government is committed to protecting press freedom while taking legal action against unregistered media outlets and those that violate existing laws and journalistic ethics.
Speaking during a meeting with the Online TV Journalists Association Nepal, Timilsina said independent, responsible, and credible journalism is essential for strengthening good governance, transparency, and democracy. He stressed that the government does not believe in controlling the media and fully respects the constitutional guarantee of press freedom.
At the same time, the minister warned that media organizations operating outside the country’s legal framework and the journalist code of ethics would face strict legal action. He said the government would strengthen regulatory mechanisms to curb the publication and broadcast of defamatory, obscene, misleading, and privacy-violating content.
Timilsina also announced that the government will soon make public the draft Mass Communication Bill and Media Council Bill for stakeholder consultation, saying the proposed laws are intended to address longstanding challenges in Nepal’s media sector.
He said the ministry has already instructed the Department of Information and Broadcasting to strictly enforce the registration of media outlets operating without legal authorization, warning that those failing to register within the stipulated timeframe would face legal action.
The minister also said the government is preparing a national digital literacy campaign to help citizens distinguish between credible information and misinformation in the digital age.
During the meeting, the Online TV Journalists Association urged the government to establish a clear legal framework for online multimedia journalism, introduce a registration system for online television platforms, strengthen digital literacy, establish a media welfare fund, and clearly distinguish journalists from content creators under the law. It also called for improved journalist safety, insurance coverage, and a licensing system for professional journalists.
