Honour poll code: Press Council

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Nov. 19: The Press Council Nepal has urged the media not to violate the election code of conduct during the silent period that began from Thursday midnight.

Issuing a statement on Friday, the Press Council of Nepal (PCN) warned the media that it would  not provide the public welfare advertisement of the government if they violate the election code of conduct.  

Reminding that the election campaigning ended on Thursday midnight, the council urged the media outlets not to publish publicity materials related to the elections. 

“Publishing and broadcasting political parties’ programmes, news, photographs, election symbols, videos and other materials collected before the silent period will be against the code of conduct, so the council urges the media not to publish such materials,” read the statement.  

The council reminded that the election code of conduct does not anyone to publish or air the publicity materials, advertisement and talk shows, comments, analysis, question-answer programmes in favour or against political parties or candidates 48 hours prior to the election day.

The council said it was conducting a monitoring of silence period.  

The media’s regulatory agency said it would forward action process as per journalist code of conduct and election code of conduct if anyone was found breaching the code.

“The council would like to inform through this statement that the code of conduct violation will be linked with media monitoring/classifying and documentation and recommendation will be made on payment of public welfare advertisement,” it said.

Appreciating the media’s important role in informing people about election, it appealed to the media, journalists, social network users to be more sensitive on the code of conduct.