Journalists share plight of reporting during COVID-19 crisis

21 June Banepa : Chitwan-based journalist Anil Dhakal was satisfied with the reporting about those heading home on foot during lockdown. It was the initial phase of lockdown against coronavirus. But when he reached home in the evening after reporting, he could not hug his two-year-old son as usual.

As his son approached him, he controlled himself out of the fear that whether he caught the virus from the crowd during reporting. So, he chose to maintain physical distance with the family members.

Reporting is generally a field-based work but hardly possible to practice social distancing for a certain section of people including journalists. It means that back to home, you could not spend comfortable time with your family.

Journalists like Dhakal were sharing their experiences during a State-level two-day workshop organised by the Press Council Nepal in Dhulikhel. The event entitled ‘Impact of corona pandemic in communications sector and journalists code of conduct’ was coordinated by the Federation of Nepali Journalists Bagmati Province and supported by the FNJ, Kavarepalanchowk chapter.

Dhakal complained they were getting no support from anywhere during this crisis.Even their demand before the local government to conduct the coronavirus test was turned into deaf ear. ”We even were unheard for the demand for RDT,” he shared.

At this moment, journalists were not even getting moral support from anywhere either it is organisation, agency, individuals or local government leaders who had been given due media support in the past.

Dhading-based journalist Nawaraj Chatkuli said he was feeling like journalists were welcomed everywhere during good times and given cold response during difficulty. Chatkuli who heads the FNJ Dhading chapter said they had however been successful to ensure a 200 thousand accident insurance and 100 thousand’s corona insurance schemes for journalists.

Makawanpur-based journalist Ripesh Dahal said journalists were facing financial problems during the crisis. FNJ Sindhuli chapter Rajan Karki said even front-line journalists were desperate to get basic safety materials such as hand sanitiser, gloves and masks in this crisis and accused the FNJ State and federal leaderships of not taking the issues into account.

FNJ Kavre chapter Nagendra Adhikari demanded a due support to journalists from the three-tier government, by acknowledging their role and performance in this adversity. FNJ Dolakha chapter chair Jeevan Lama, Nuwakot chair Bishnu Taru, and Sindhupalchowk chapter Mahesh Shrestha said journalists were deprived of testing facility, seeking the initiation of State and federal bodies and Press Council towards that end.

According to Press Council member Ishwori Ojha, a five-point memorandum demanding insurance and health checkup among others for front-line journalists was submitted to the government.

FNJ central chair Govinda Acharya said they were working from the institutional level to address the concerns of journalists while Dhulikhel Municipality Mayor Ashok Byanju hinted the possibility of coming up with initiations for the causes of journalists.