Proficiency test for robust journalistic ethics: Council Chairman Karki

Banepa / Aug 21: Press Council Nepal’s Chairman Borna Bahadur Karki said the Council floated the proposal for conducting proficiency test for journalists with a view to establishing ethics, norms and values in journalism profession.

Addressing a programme organised here Sunday to mark the 14th anniversary of ‘Susandesh Weekly’, he said there was a big difference between the freedom of expression and the dissemination of news. The issue of testing competency of journalists is meant for discouraging ‘wrong -motives’ in the name of journalism, he said, adding that voices in for and against any good effort was usual.

He claimed that ’20 percent people in Nepali journalism are non-journalists’. He was of the view of improving quality of mofussil-based newspapers. Sustainability of local papers is not possible through local advertisement.

Vice President of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Khil Bahadur Bhandari said hurdles in promoting professional journalism should be cleared.

Newspaper editor Yadunath Deupure presided over the programme. RSS