Press Council Nepal (PCN) has urged the government to promptly provide the personal protective equipment to journalists working from risk zones including the international border areas in the context of increasing risk of COVID-19.

A meeting of PCN on Sunday decided to draw the government’s attention for extending necessary cooperation and budget from the Ministry of Health and the federal, state and local governments in disseminating awareness and sensitisation materials through all types of media for the purpose of containing COVID-19.

While reviewing the much inconvenience Nepali media has been facing following imposition by the government of the lockdown to prevent coronavirus spread, the PCN meeting called on the government to make arrangements for providing discount and subsidy to the media on electricity, telephone and ICT equipment including internet.

PCN has applauded the role the media across the country have played in disseminating awareness-raising materials working round the clock when the state itself is in lockdown in the face of COVID-19.

Press Council Nepal has also appealed to the media to disseminate credible, balanced, true and factual news and information while remaining safe from the COVID-19 risk.

It also urged the government to take a policy decision for the purpose of paying for the public welfare advertisements and the audit bureau of circulation in the case of newspapers and magazines whose publication has been interrupted due to the closure of public transport and the adverse situation in the context of the lockdown in which the distribution, editor and management teams cannot come together at a single place and when it is difficult for the printing press technicians also to report to work.