Code of Conduct Orientation to make online journalism responsible

The Press Council Nepal has decided to continue the Journalist Code of Conduct Orientation Program to make online journalism systematic and responsible. As part of the council's latest campaign, moderators, editors, and delegates are required to participate in an orientation program before registering online.

The council has started regular orientations with the objective of informing the media about the code of conduct and various directives. According to the same series, an orientation was conducted in the Press Council Nepal today.

During the orientation, Press Council Chairman Bal Krishna Basnet informed us that the council was conducting a code of conduct awareness campaign in different districts. He said the Press Council believes that the practice of joining the code of conduct orientation when new online listings are created will raise awareness.

Chairman Basnet said that the program was initiated by the council as code of conduct education was more important than monitoring and action to make journalism more dignified. President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists Bipul Pokhrel said that the code of conduct issued jointly by the federation and the Press Council was the motto of the journalists.

He said that the 'Journalist Code of Conduct Orientation Program' was necessary for building a good character by spreading a positive message in society through journalism as journalists have a definite purpose and character.

Giving an expert presentation in today's orientation, Ekraj Pathak, Editor-in-Chief of RSS, said that clean and dignified journalism can be promoted only by following the Code of Conduct for Journalists. Stating that journalism is hasty literature, he suggested that caution should be exercised in disseminating news, and if there is any mistake, all journalists should be ready to correct it.

Another expert on the orientation program, Anita Bindu, former vice-president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, said that the code of conduct did not cover the various directives issued by the council. He informed about the provisions mentioned in the Women Responsible Communication Guide-2076, Disability-Friendly Communication Guide-2073, and Child-Friendly Communication Guide-2073.

Chief Officer of the Council, Javindra Bhusal, while briefing the newly listed online media about the Code of Conduct for Journalists, said that regular orientation was being held as it would make them aware of the issue in the days to come. Today's event was attended by online operators, editors, and reporters, both physically and via Zoom.