Media fails to uphold its role as watchdog

The government tried to stop criticism by threatening and spreading fear among journalists.

The year 2020 was unprecedented. The coronavirus pandemic severely affected all walks of life, including the media and journalism. Nepal was no exception and experienced the same predicament owing to the lockdown and mobility restrictions. Consequently, the media and journalists were sternly constrained from upholding their watchdog role by accessing information, gathering news in the field and working in the newsroom. In such a dismal situation, no public policy or programme was introduced to rescue the Nepali media and normalise the everyday performance of journalists. Instead, the government’s hostile actions further weakened the media.