Officiating Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Ram Prasad Bhandari has urged the media to disseminate election-related news and information based on official sources in view of the upcoming House of Representatives elections.

Addressing an orientation on the “Code of Conduct for the Election to the House of Representatives-2082 BS” organized by Public Service Broadcasting Nepal (PSB) here today, he advised media houses to refrain from disseminating false or misleading content during the election period.

He said citizens need fact-based and credible information during elections, and the media bears the responsibility of fulfilling this need. 

Bhandari also stressed the need for a strict implementation of the election code of conduct by the media houses as well.

Expressing concern over the spread of AI-assisted and manipulated content on digital platforms that could harm individuals’ reputations, Bhandari said the Election Commission (EC) was signing agreements with social media platforms such as Meta and TikTok to manage such issues.

EC Secretary Krishna Bahadur Raut said it is the responsibility of the media to encourage the implementation of the election code of conduct. He particularly urged State-run media to play a more responsible role in disseminating official and credible news to the public.

Likewise, Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, Laxmi Kumari Basnet, wanted the media to demonstrate their effective role in providing credible information to the citizens to help ensure a successful election.

PSB Chair Dr Mahendra Bista said journalists should adhere to both the election code of conduct, and the journalistic code of conduct during the elections. “Self-censorship is needed in this regard,” he said, calling for the practice of independent journalism.