At a time when the entire country is engaged in elections, the media, the fourth organ of the state, must shoulder its responsibility to follow the election code of conduct and monitor all candidates to ensure they comply with the code of conduct.
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Political parties and candidates contesting the upcoming election for members of the House of Representatives on Falgun 21 have reached the doorsteps of the people in their election campaigns. Complaints are also being registered with the Election Commission regarding violations of the election code of conduct by parties who are busy trying to please the people with various assurances, commitments and claims. The election code of conduct applies not only to the parties and candidates participating in the election, but also to the media.
However, the media and the political parties and candidates participating in the elections have also not followed the election code of conduct. At a time when the entire country is engaged in elections, the media, the fourth organ of the state, should be able to shoulder the responsibility of following the election code of conduct and monitoring all candidates to ensure that they comply with the code of conduct. The Election Commission has tightened the regulation and control of incidents of code of conduct violations with the completion of the direct nominations for the House of Representatives elections.
The Commission has sought clarification from the incumbent Chief Minister and candidates on the issue of code of conduct violations. The Commission has been urging the media to disseminate news and information based only on official sources for the election of members of the House of Representatives. However, there is an increasing trend of presenting content without factual information in an exaggerated manner through various digital platforms and apps such as artificial intelligence (AI).
There are many examples of media outlets not following the journalistic code of conduct not only during elections, but also at other times. The Commission has already sent a total of 302 harmful information discovered this week to the relevant bodies for action in accordance with the Election Code of Conduct, 2082, the Electronic Transactions Act, 2063, and the Press Council Act, 2048. An Election Information Dissemination and Coordination Center has also been established in the Commission to monitor those who give false/misleading information and hate speech in violation of the Election Code of Conduct, and to bring individuals and organizations that commit illegal acts under the purview of the law.
The misleading information and audiovisual content that are found on social media from time to time have created confusion among voters. Some media outlets and journalists have engaged in unprofessional conduct contrary to the values and norms of journalism, disseminated material without factual verification and basis and evidence, and misused social media to disseminate information materials that incite and spread rumors or confusion in society. It is also ironic that the media outlets and media workers are not aware of this, knowing that it is against professional conduct and illegal to publish material that is deliberately false, false and distorted to incite the situation.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Press Council has stated that it has initiated a special monitoring process to check whether journalists and media outlets are following the journalistic code of conduct and the election code of conduct. The Council has warned the media and journalists not to give space to such content and not to broadcast content that is in favor or against someone or that defames a political party or candidate.
There are many examples of media outlets not following the journalistic code of conduct not only during elections, but also at other times. According to the Press Council, 163 complaints have been registered till mid-December of the fiscal year 2082/83. The Council has issued instructions and cautioned 136 media outlets and 27 non-media outlets based on the seriousness of the code of conduct violations.
The media also has the responsibility to advocate for the citizens by monitoring every activity of the candidate. The information disseminated by the media is the repository of knowledge and conscience for the citizens and the basis for decision-making. According to the Journalist Code of Ethics, 2073, journalists and the media must always disseminate truthful and factual information to protect and promote the fundamental rights of citizens, freedom of thought and expression. Journalists and the media must always be active and dedicated to protecting and promoting the right of citizens to be informed and must practice dignified and credible journalism. Journalists and the media must collect and disseminate information or information in a civilized and polite manner, and must use polite and dignified language and working style in their professional practice, respecting social decency and the dignity of readers, listeners or viewers. Truthful and balanced news content must be disseminated and the news, ideas and information or information disseminated through social media must be truthful, balanced and dignified.
Journalists and the media should not produce, publish, broadcast and distribute material that is against the sovereignty, geographical integrity, nationality and independence of Nepal and disrupts good relations and social harmony between different castes, religions, sects, languages and cultures, encourages caste discrimination or untouchability, and is contrary to public decency or morality. Similarly, the journalistic code of conduct states that news material should not be produced, published, broadcast and distributed in a way that discriminates against or incites hatred against anyone on any basis such as caste, gender, religious, regional, linguistic, political belief, color or physical, mental and health conditions. Intimidating, threatening citizens, taking unfair financial advantage, fulfilling personal interests and having the intention to cause unfair gain or harm to anyone are acts that are against the professional dignity of journalism.
The media has the power to make the upcoming elections fair and help voters choose responsible representatives in a prudent manner. The media also has the responsibility of advocating for the citizens by monitoring every activity of the candidates. The information provided by the media is the repository of knowledge and conscience for the citizens and the basis for decision-making. Only the people who have witnessed every activity of the state and every activity of the people's representatives can maintain their loyalty to the state. They can strengthen their trust in the government. For that, every person should have the right to information, and the media should have the right to freely disseminate information and messages. Therefore, the right to information and a free press have come to be seen as an integral part of human rights and good governance. Because of information, every person is directly or indirectly affected by any scientific, political, economic, social, and cultural development and event occurring in any part of the world. Information is an indispensable component for a strong and stable nation, peace and order and the elimination of unrest, and economic, social justice, and inclusive development. This enables the country to achieve economic growth, equitable distribution of resources and opportunities, and social justice, good governance, transparency, rule of law, accountable governance, and protection and promotion of human rights.
During election campaigns across the country, citizens need truthful news content. Since the media is responsible for fulfilling this need, all media outlets must adhere to the role of adhering to and ensuring compliance with the code of conduct. During the election, they must be able to provide accurate information to citizens and assist the government in making the election a success, while exercising social responsibility.
For this, the media must perform their duty of journalism in an impartial manner, paying attention to the election code of conduct as well as the code of conduct for journalists. And, journalists themselves must make a self-assessment of ‘Have I adhered to the code of conduct or not?’ It is not only unseemly for journalists to favor any party's candidate or ideology, or to advocate for any candidate through the media and social media, but it is also against the law.
