As the fourth estate, the media play crucial role in informing the people and forming public opinion on the burning issues of the society. With increasing awareness and affordable technology, the media have widely been expanded and become indispensable part of the citizens’ life. As its importance is growing over the years, the media have undergone rapid changes in its form and contents. In its initial stage of evolution, the print media emerged as the effective vehicle of passing information, ideas and opinions of diverse social and political actors. Then came the age of radio and television, which greatly changed the media landscape. Now we are passing through the explosive digital era marked by minute-by-minute flow of news and views. The digital media is fast, competitive and demanding. The declining price of internet has led to the growth of the online media by leaps and bounds. Currently, more than 2,100 online news portals had been registered and additional 1,500 are in the process of getting registered.

One reason why Nepali media have become popular and ubiquitous is that it has been constitutionally protected and enjoys full freedom. However, the full press freedom has its both sides – good and bad. As the door is open to all to run the media institutions, this will also bring in bad elements into the profession. This gives a leeway to those active to take undue benefit from the profession. These individuals are inclined to violate media laws, ethics and code of conduct. They are ashamedly involved in yellow journalism, character assassination of public figures and provocation of sensitive issues through the manipulation of news and distortion of facts and truth. Disobedience of prescribed laws and code of conduct is rife in the realm of digital news portals. Press Council Nepal has so far shut down 104 news portals and issued warning to 157 others for not complying with journalistic code of conduct. This shows that regulatory action is necessary to oblige the media institutions to the basic media norms and conduct.

Against this backdrop, Minister for Finance, Communication and Information Technology Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada said that the government would ‘sanitise’ media to promote clean, healthy and uninfected contents, thereby providing responsible and credible information to the readers. Speaking at a programme in Kathmandu the other day, Dr. Khatiwada said that sanitisation of the media sector would save the country from social and cultural infections that some were trying to inject into the nation’s health. According to him, the relevant state agencies would restrict the entry of infected media in the journalism sector. The media needs to be responsible towards the society and people.

It is imperative for the media organisations to exercise law-based freedom. Barring a few exceptions, Nepali media has put its best foot forward to promote national unity and territorial integrity as seen in their unified stand against the Indian encroachment of Nepali territories in the far-western region of the country. In view of the negative impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on media sector, the government should introduce relief package for journalists who have lost their jobs and media houses that are struggling to operate. This is necessary to ensure security and autonomy of the media sector.