The Press Council Nepal has written to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation over the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal’s act of seeking a written clarification from Annapurna Media Network (AMN) regarding news reports published in Annapurna Post daily.
The letter argues that CAAN’s move contradicts the principles of press freedom. The meeting of the Code of Conduct Monitoring subcommittee of the council held on Aug 22 has urged the ministry to take necessary action against CAAN for the protection of press freedom, reads the letter.
Editorial freedom within the media pertains to the independence of publishers in making decisions devoid of external interference. This encompasses the autonomy of editors to determine content and coverage. The letter underlines that seeking explanations from the publisher while intertwining their other business activities and neglecting proper legal procedures amounts to an assault on editorial freedom. The Press Council Nepal has expressed serious concern over this matter.
The letter asserts that checking the authenticity of news falls under the jurisdiction of Press Council Nepal, not CAAN. The sub-committee’s meeting decided to delve into this matter further by consulting former chairs of the council and former presidents of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ).
Nepal’s challenging geographical isolation poses significant difficulties in accessing healthcare and delivering sustenance. Air services become indispensable for these essential needs. However, CAAN introduced a policy to suspend air services in remote districts after 12 pm starting July 31. This decision had severe repercussions in remote and mountainous regions of Nepal. Regrettably, due to the absence of air services, four children lost their lives in the remote areas of Karnali province as they couldn’t receive timely medical care due to CAAN's new policy.
After Annapurna Post, a sister publication of ApEx, highlighted the hardships facing people living in far-flung areas, the issue garnered considerable attention. Various media outlets, including BBC, Kantipur, and Radio Nepal, also covered similar stories, underscoring the urgency of government intervention to restore essential air services in remote regions of the country.
Despite appeals from the Chief Minister of Karnali province, the federal Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, political leaders and local representatives, CAAN chose not to lift air service restrictions. Instead, it targeted the media for exposing what was perceived as a misguided and callous decision.
In its letter, CAAN has accused AMN of ‘repeatedly disseminating news, analyses, and commentaries that severely jeopardize flight safety’. The letter further highlights that despite Capt Rameshwar Thapa’s position as the head of an airline company responsible for ensuring flight safety, he appears to have misused his publishing authority through his media, engaging in activities that spread misinformation and rumors.
Earlier, the FNJ and other press unions such as Nepal Press Union, Press Chautari Nepal, Socialist Press Organization Nepal, Forum of Nepalese Journalist and Madhesi Journalist Society Nepal warned CAAN to immediately withdraw its letter seeking clarification from AMN as the move is beyond its jurisdiction.
