Private media in the country have been struggling to survive. And COVID-19 pandemic has rubbed salt in the wound. According to the president of the Media Association of Bhutan representing private media, the pandemic has reduced advertisements across all media outlets.
To prevent the spread of coronavirus, people are instructed to stay home and avoid gatherings. Reduced activities and other preventive measures resulted in lesser advertisements on which the private media houses actually thrive.
Sumitra Pradhan, a Reporter/Producer with Yiga Radio says the pandemic has strangled the private media by cutting off all grants and advertisements. “Revenue in most media houses is generated from advertisements, announcements and also project grants which we get from the Ministry of Information and Communication, Journalist Association of Bhutan and Bhutan Media Foundation. But because of this COVID-19 pandemic, these days we are not getting any projects. And even people approaching to give ads ask for a discount and for free since everyone is affected by the pandemic,” she said.
“We depend on advertisements. And now with the COVID-19 pandemic, there are lesser tender announcements by the government. This ultimately reduces our revenue and it is difficult to get our salary at the end of the month,” said Karma Wangdi, a Reporter with Bhutan Today.
Moreover, lesser people have been reported to come out to buy papers according to the Media Association of Bhutan. And the closure of airlines and hotels have brought a fall in the number of buyers.
According to private media houses, although online readership has increased, readership does not determine their revenue. Their revenue comes from advertisements.
Yiga Radio’s Sumitra Pradhan says only the government’s intervention at this time can save the private media. “As a media person, we cannot pause and work from home. We obviously have to come to the office because we are the outlets of news and entertainment to our general public. We cannot stay at home and close our offices. So at this present moment, if the government could help us with their interventions, maybe they could circulate ads not only to state owned media houses but also to private media houses,” she added.
She also said it has become difficult as they get paid only half of their salary.
Meanwhile, the president of the Media Association of Bhutan who is also the editor of The Bhutanese said they have alerted the government on the situation.
Kinley Dem
