The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has urged the immediate withdrawal of the decision to provide government advertisements only to government media outlets.

According to a statement issued by the federation on Friday, the IFJ World Conference held in Paris, France from May 4 to 7, expressed concern over the decision and passed a resolution.

‘The conference expresses deep concern over the directive issued by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on Chaitra 18, 2082, under the pretext of cutting government expenditure, to provide government advertisements at all levels only to government media outlets,’ the statement issued by the federation states.

According to the federation, the conference has concluded that the decision will adversely affect editorial freedom, freedom of the press and expression, the right to information and the autonomy of journalism as a whole. ‘Although state advertising allocation can strengthen government media outlets financially, it risks maintaining a monopoly on the flow of information and increasing government control over the media sector,’ the statement said.

According to the press release, the conference stated that since advertising is a major source of income for many media outlets, the government's decision will have a direct negative impact on the financial sustainability of independent media outlets, the livelihood of journalists, and the right of citizens to access information.