Bhutanese media houses should enforce editorial guidelines, ensure the mandatory disclosure of sponsored content, implement formal conflict-of-interest policies, and provide competency-based training for journalists. These are among the key recommendations of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s Assessment of Corruption Vulnerabilities and Integrity in the Media Sector report. The recommendations aim to strengthen media integrity and restore public trust in Bhutan’s press. According to the ACC, the report is the first of its kind to systematically assess corruption risks and ethical vulnerabilities within Bhutan’s media landscape.
Covering both public and private media houses, as well as media-related civil society organisations, the study highlights how financial dependency, weak internal controls, and lack of formal ethics mechanisms leave media organisations susceptible to undue influence.
The report highlights the risks posed by unlabelled paid or sponsored content, informal gift exchanges, and editorial pressure from advertisers or political actors. According to the report, even subtle pressures, like the threat of withdrawing advertisements, can lead to self-censorship and biased reporting.
In the last six years (2019-2024), ACC received 13 complaints against media organisations, ranging from alleged embezzlement to abuse of authority in recruitment and promotion. Two of these cases qualified for formal investigation.
Financial sustainability remains one of the most pressing challenges for Bhutan’s private media houses. According to the report, many operate with a few staff and limited revenue, relying mostly on government advertisements to stay afloat. This dependency, according to the report, put their editorial independence at risk.
To address these risks, the ACC urges media organisations and regulatory bodies such as the Bhutan InfoComm and Media Authority to adopt stronger safeguards.
This includes regular monitoring of content, mandatory conflict-of-interest declarations, and clearer separation between editorial and sponsored material.
Additionally, the report calls for full implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Sharing Public Information. The Department of Media, Creative Industry and Intellectual Property introduced the SOP in 2023 to streamline access to government-held information. According to the report, journalists continue to face challenges in obtaining timely and relevant information, despite the SOP’s adoption.
The report also emphasises the need for longer-term, competency-based training programmes for journalists. According to the report, current training offerings are often short-term, ineffective, and misaligned with the real needs of the profession, particularly in investigative reporting and ethical decision-making.
As Bhutan’s Press Freedom Index ranking fell to 147th in 2024 from 90th position in 2023, the report urges the media sector to take prompt action to restore its credibility.
Tashi Dekar
Edited by Sonam Pem
