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Press Council Nepal Chairman Bal Krishna Basnet has drawn the attention of all concerned not to misuse media as a tool to push the country towards instability and anarchy.

He said that the Council has been monitoring YouTube and online media that have been publishing and broadcasting irresponsible and baseless information.

Many have been found disseminating baseless information to fulfill various interests by introducing themselves as mediapersons.

He said so during a program organized at the office of the Press Council Nepal on Thursday.

Saying that publishing, broadcasting or disseminating false information in a planned manner is an abuse of the freedom of the press, Chairman Basnet informed that the Council has been engaged in a campaign to scrap the cards of such journalists and taking stringent action against them.   

He went on to say that the people will not trust the media misusing freedom.

YouTube and other social media networks should always be watchful about whether they are being operated by wrong elements or groups.

He said that the Press Council has developed a working procedure to organize YouTube.

The Council has taken action against 49 various YouTube channels in the last three months, Basnet further informed.

A code of conduct has been signed between the Advertising Association of Nepal (AAN), National Advertising Association of Nepal (NAN), Nepal Media Society, and the Media Alliance Nepal. On Wednesday, Sudip Thapa, President of AAN, Dharmendra Kaji Shrestha of NAN, Subha Shankar Kandel, Chair of Nepal Media Society, and Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar, Chair of Media Alliance Nepal, signed the agreement.

This agreement aims to implement a code of conduct between umbrella organizations of advertising agencies and mainstream media organizations. It is intended to improve advertising business management and monitoring procedures. Currently, a significant portion of government funds allocated for advertising is lost due to improper practices, resulting in the media receiving only a small share of these funds.

Government policies that limit advertising expenditures in sectors such as health, education, and insurance, and ban advertising in certain areas like alcohol, have financially harmed media companies that were established with substantial investments and provide numerous jobs. Creating a supportive environment for media operations is considered a shared responsibility, and there is a growing concern that failure to regulate the advertising business and media may lead to serious issues in the future.

One key objective of this commercial partnership agreement is to ensure that advertising in mainstream media is conducted exclusively through affiliated advertising business organizations (agencies). This measure aims to standardize advertising rates and promote healthy competition, thereby benefiting both advertising businesses and media organizations.

Key points 

• Agencies must be registered and regularly renewed with relevant Nepal Government agencies and the advertisement board, and be members of AAN or NAN.
• Agencies must employ at least five staff and have the necessary physical infrastructure as specified by the AAN or NAN
• Agencies must obtain a ‘No Objection Letter’ annually from the media or related organizations to conduct business with the media
• Mainstream media and media businesses that earn income from advertising must publish and disseminate lists of agencies registered with the advertising board and keep this information on their websites
• Affiliated advertising agencies are required to maintain a bank guarantee or cash bond as per the media’s policy for advertising-related business
• Mainstream media should only conduct business with AAN or NAN-affiliated agencies registered with the Advertising Board. Agencies must similarly work only with media affiliated with the Nepal Media Society and Media Alliance Nepal
• Minimum advertising rates are set at Rs 500 per column per cm in print media and Rs 1,000 per minute on television. Media cannot offer rates below these minimums, and violation will result in a three-month suspension from advertising business
• Agencies must charge at least Rs 600,000 per year for creative concept design and Rs 5,000 for each creative concept
• Advertisers must adhere to a 15 percent commission for agencies and an additional maximum seven percent fee for media marketing agencies. This fee supports agency operations infrastructure, technology, human resources, business development, and returns. Media marketing agencies must operate at the set media rates
• Media affiliated with this agreement must publish and broadcast their advertising rates and maintain transparency on their websites and with the Advertising Board
• Advertisers must pay agencies within 30 days of receiving a bill, and agencies must pay the media within 60 days. Delays will incur a 15 percent annual interest rate from the date of the advertisement publication
• Advertisers leaving an agency must clear all outstanding dues within 30 days. Failure to pay will result in a business ban issued by AAN and NAN, enforceable by all agencies and media.
• To ensure market transparency, advertising rates should be based on the media content’s popularity and quality
• Mainstream media should not engage directly with advertisers, except for event-related dealings

The Chairperson of Press Council Nepal, Balkrishna Basnet, emphasized that false and misleading content should not be published in the media as news. He highlighted the confusion such content causes among the general public and its detrimental impact on media credibility.

Addressing a code of conduct orientation program organized by the council on Sunday, focusing on YouTube management, Basnet advised against engaging in journalism that perpetuates falsehoods. “Let’s not pollute journalism by spreading false content,” he stated. He underscored the need for mature journalism, regardless of the medium, emphasizing the importance of working in a non-controversial, accountable, and responsible manner. “Everyone can raise questions,” he added.

Basnet noted a tendency among some YouTube channels to propagate falsehoods, questioning the professional value of such journalism. He expressed concern that current journalism is too focused on insults, suggesting that maintaining professional dignity requires healthy and controversy-free journalism.

“If we don’t uphold standards, this field will never be respected. It is up to us to decide how to conduct ourselves. If we are to do journalism through YouTube, we must adhere to its dignity,” he stated. Basnet also mentioned that the Press Council of Nepal has been conducting orientation programs for YouTube operators who are weak in following the journalistic code of conduct.

The program saw the participation of 30 publishers and editors from various YouTube channels.

The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has urged the government to move ahead with the formulation of the media related bills based on the Constitution of Nepal, the universal standards and practice of freedom of press and expression.

A meeting of the FNJ officers and members on Wednesday decided to welcome the government's initiative to present the media bill in the current session of the Parliament. The bill should go through the parliamentary process after extensive discussion and consultation with the concerned parties including the FNJ.

Considering the current situation where the media sector is facing a financial crisis, the FNJ has appealed to the government to adopt a policy of protecting the media sector, by among others, creating a media-friendly environment and increasing public welfare advertisements while distributing it in a proportionate manner.

The FNJ has also demanded that the new media be classified and included as eligible for getting public welfare advertisements.