KATHMANDU/January 30: Media Action Nepal (MAN), a research based media rights advocacy organization based in Nepal has been selected as a Member of global network the Media Freedom Coalition–Consultative Network (MFC–CN). Created in January 2020, MFC-CN is a group of organizations that provides advice to the Media Freedom Coalition on the work of the MFC and facilitates selection of cases that it believes require State intervention.
Stating that Nepal, South Asia, Southeast Asia and many countries across the world need to address the issue of impunity in cases of media rights violation, Laxman Datt Pant, Chairperson of Media Action Nepal commented, "The global stakeholders should work together to create an enabling environment for independent and fearless media." Media Action Nepal looks forward to providing support to the MFC through the Consultative Network presenting wider civil society and media rights perspectives to uphold free press, Pant added.
The MFC-CN presents cases to the MFC for action - both cases of concern in countries where media freedom is at particular risk and cases of individual journalists or media outlets under threat. Also, it offers advice on present and future issues within media freedom and media development.
Comprised of 22 member organizations, MFC-CN is loosely structured into four areas of interest: press freedom organizations, media development organizations, collective representation organizations, and the academia and organizations that are not covered by the other areas of interest.
Along with Media Action Nepal, the other current member organizations include ARTICLE 19, Association of International Broadcasting (AIB), Cambodian Center for Human Rights (CCHR), Comité por la Libre Expresión (C-Libre), Honduras, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), DW Akademie, Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP), IFEX, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and International Media Support (IMS), International Press Institute (IPI), Internews Europe, Maharat Foundation, Lebanon, Media Monitoring Africa, Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), Public Media Alliance (PMA), Reporters sans Frontières (RSF), South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM), The Guardian, and WAN-IFRA (World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers).
