A private newspaper, The Journalist, suspended their Managing Editor for a month after the Office of the Media Arbitrator of Election Commission, asked to take action against the editor and a reporter for doing a profile story on a NC candidate.
This move has raised several eyebrows in the media fraternity.
The story was published by the newspaper after the ECB verbally communicated to all media houses not to run profile stories on any National Council candidate. When the media arbitrator’s office told the newspaper of the rules that were breached, and asked for a written action taken report, The Journalist newspaper, suspended its Managing Editor.
The Journalist newspaper in a statement said, “We made a mistake and so wrote an apology letter to the media arbitrator. We believe that we have to take accountability. However, our mistake was not intentional. On the day, there was just one editor working. He was under pressure and so made the mistake. As responsible media, we took administrative actions against the editor. The bottom line is that if one makes a mistake one should own up to it.”
Meanwhile, the Journalist Association of Bhutan (JAB) is worried such a precedent may lead to journalist not performing their duty without fear and favour.
“We would like to seek clarity on how far a public office can go to put a media house under pressure to take action on our journalist. Because our concern in that if a media house comes under pressure from different public offices apart from BICMA, our journalist may not be able to perform the duty without fear and favour,” said Needrup Zangpo, the Executive Director of JAB.
The ECB said, the Media Arbitrator’s Office did not exert any pressure nor directed the newspaper to suspend its Managing Editor.
Phub Dorji, Head of Department of Civic and Electoral Training with ECB said: “The fact is, media arbitrator called the media house how it has happened, just to know the actual background. But by the time the media arbitrator has called the concerned media house and ask how it has happened by then they have already reported to him saying that the reporter has made the mistake, for that mistake they have already taken action.”
Similarly, Kuensel newspaper was also asked for a written explanation following factual errors on a dhamngoi zomdu story published on March 6.
“In fact, we have already published a corrigendum and also a follow up story on Lhuentse zomdu. Our reporter actually made a mistake on the number of vote counts, the only mistake we made was the number of votes,” said the Senior Dzongkha Editor of Kuensel, Rinzin Wangchuk. “Although, they have asked us to send an action taken report but that will depend on our discussion and we will submit our statement.”
The Media Arbitrator’s Office was set up as required by the Media Coverage of Elections Rules and Regulations, 2018.
