Chief Election Commissioner urges media to disseminate balanced and objective news

KATHMANDU, April 21: Chief Election Commissioner Dr Ayodhee Prasad Yadav has urged the media to take up the responsibility of a watchdog to make the upcoming local level election in a free, fair and fear-free manner.

CEC Yadav said this while addressing a workshop titled ‘Dissemination of Balanced News in the Forthcoming Local Level Election and Importance of News’, organized here today by Tribhuvan University Central Department of Journalism and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“So far the Election Commission has not come across a situation of annoyance arising out of the material carried by the media in breach of the election code of conduct. The country has been overwhelmed with the election fervour and the media has played a laudable role in this,” CEC Yadav said.

Stating that the media should disseminate balanced and objective news based on truth and fact in the context of the date for the filing of candidacy for the local level election drawing closer, he said the Commission has moved ahead far in terms of the election preparation and management. He described the local level election as a historic one from the viewpoint of gender equality at the local level as per the constitution.

CEC Yadav said he has found that the media has been together with the voters in the election mega campaign that is intensifying in the villages and localities in a positive way.

Chief of the TU Central Department of Journalism, Chiranjibi Khanal underlined the need for the journalists to work in an impartial manner while covering the election.

JICA representative in Nepal Jun Sakuma said the mass media has a significant role to play for a free, fair and impartial election.

Saying JICA has been continuously providing support in enhancing the capacity of the media houses and journalists of Nepal, she said it would provide logistics and technical assistance to the Election Commission as well.

General Secretary of the Public Broadcasting Organization of Japan, Tosiyuki Sato stressed that the media should pay special attention to maintaining balance while covering the election.

Chairman of NHK International, Japan, Koto Harada presented a working paper on the theme- ‘Balance and Impartiality in Election News: Japanese Experience.’ RSS