Kathmandu, Aug 21: The Print Media National Network, an umbrella organization of print media in the country has stated that the small investment- run print media are plunging into crisis due to the COVID-19 outbreak and its effect.    

A report on the present condition of small investment-run print media prepared by the Network study team in collaboration with Press Council Nepal submitted its report to the Secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology on Friday.    

General secretary of the Network Kishor Shrestha and Thakur Belbase, member of the Press Council submitted the study report to the secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.    

The report has outlined that such small investment-run media are facing hardship for their survival continuously since the COVID-19 pandemic. The report reads that the pandemic effect was worsening the regular operation and other business including printing, distributing and marketing among others of the print media pushing them into further crisis.    

The report has pointed out the need of protecting the small-scaled print media by the concerned bodies including the Ministry. The report mentions that the journalists and dependent family members were adversely affected when the media business was worsening day by day.    

It has further incorporated the spirit of the media ethics, code of conduct, reliability and accuracy of the news needed to be disseminated by the media houses as print media were an effective media to aware, change and transform the society and set new values as well. "The working journalists were found deprived of basic salaries, insurances and other facilitation to them from both media runners and State itself. " the report reads.    

The report was developed by conducting interactions, discussions, meetings with stakeholders and field visits across Nepal.