Kathmandu. The ‘Print Media Preservation Task Force’—formed by the Kathmandu Chapter of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) to seek the reversal of the government’s decision to cut funding for public welfare advertising—has recommended launching a phased protest. The task force has proposed that the FNJ immediately engage in dialogue with the government and political party leaders, and initiate physical protests if their demands are not addressed within a week.
A meeting of the task force held on Saturday morning selected Damodar Prasad Dawadi as coordinator and presented a seven-point recommendation to the Federation. The task force decided to request the Federation’s central committee to call upon print media outlets across the country—in accordance with the revised procedures—not to submit bills for public welfare advertisements (regarding the amount deducted) to the Advertising Board or the concerned post offices.
The task force has concluded that the discrimination in the distribution of government advertisements, the reduction in funds for public welfare advertisements, and the drastic cut in bulletin fees for the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) must be immediately rectified. To this end, a decision has been made to meet with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, relevant government bodies, and political party leaders to press for a resolution to these issues.
The task force has proposed attempting to resolve the issue through dialogue and consultation over the course of a week, while also planning to advance the protest in phases should the demands remain unaddressed during that period. The task force has concluded that, amidst the deepening financial crisis facing the print media, the reduction in funding for public welfare advertisements has created further challenges for the very survival of small-scale and self-employment-based media outlets.
The task force has emphasized that the preservation of print media should be viewed not merely as a commercial matter for media outlets, but as an issue linked to press freedom and the citizens’ right to information. It maintains that the government’s advertising policy must ensure equity and transparency and avoid discriminatory treatment of media organizations.
The task force was formed following a discussion and consultation session with print media editors and publishers, organized by the Kathmandu chapter of the Federation of Nepali Journalists on Bhadra 19.
A task force has been formed under the coordination of Dawadi, with Dr. Keshav Devkota, Tank Karki, Hemraj Silwal, Mukti Bastola, Bishwaraj Kirat, Sita Pokharel, Nripendralal Shrestha, Dilliram Bhattarai, Padmaraj Joshi, and Kalpana Khadka as members.
The task force has urged the government to immediately reconsider its decision and create an environment that saves the print media sector from crisis. It has further recommended that, should there be a delay in addressing these demands, pressure-building initiatives be launched—mobilizing print media outlets across the country under the leadership of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Kathmandu Chapter—to press for action.
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