The government has announced that its advertisements will be published in government-owned media outlets only. The decision means that private media won’t be getting government ads on their platforms. The Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has declared this provision, which could be one measure to promote transparency and ensure proper use of funds.
‘When publishing and broadcasting information, including public procurement, from public bodies through the media, the Government of Nepal, provincial governments and local levels and their subordinate bodies, and all public bodies operating using public funds, shall make arrangements for publishing their information only in government-owned media outlets such as Gorakhapatra Corporation, Radio Nepal, and Nepal Television (NTV),’ the directive states.
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Why government ads on government media only?
The government says that this decision will help maintain the economy through government expenditure, bring uniformity and transparency in the publication and broadcasting of advertisements and information, and promote government-owned media outlets.
The payment for advertisements has been arranged to be deposited only in the official bank account of the concerned media organization. The letter also states that the payment rate and discount for advertisements should be approved by the concerned government media organization.
The decision has bemused the private sector. The Federation of Nepali Journalists, the National Advertising Association of Nepal (NAAN), Media Society, among others, have jointly protested the decision by issuing a notice interpreting the move as a kind of ‘press censorship.’
The government’s decision is remarkable in its possible effect. While proper fund use is one of the targets here, the move will also boost the relevance of government media. We can say that these media outlets, such as Gorakhapatra and NTV, will get more exposure with government ads coming through them only. But of course, this could hurt some private media that would count on government ads for their operation.
