18 Baisakh, Kathmandu: Journalists have been found working facing disproportionate risk of infection in the districts where COVID-19 cases have been reported, according a report.
A report unveiled by the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and the Nepal Press Council after taking stock of the journalists working in the COVID-19-hit places has shown that the journalists were working despite resource constraints and lack of personal protective gears. Mostly, the journalists in Udayapur district were found to have been exposed to risk of COVID-19 as Bhulke in the district had reported the highest cases of COVID-19, shared inspection team coordinator, also FNJ’s general-secretary Ramesh Bista. COVID-19 cases have been reported highest in Udayapur district in State No 1 followed by Bara and Parsa districts in State No 2.
“It has been found that the journalists in those areas did not have their health examined,” stated the report. “Our inspection has shown that media persons have been fulfilling their responsibility to inform the public about the COVID-19 related cases and issues bearing huge risk of contraction at such a health crisis,” he said.
During the inspection, the local journalists had admitted that they were at high risk of COVID-19 and they were working despite inadequate resources. The report also shed light on the plight of the journalists working relentlessly amid the nation-wide lockdown ordered to contain the outbreak of COVID-19.
Neither the government nor the concerned agencies have provided any compensation or relief to those journalists, the report finds. FNJ and the Nepal Press Council in the report have demanded with the government and concerned authorities to enable safe environment for the journalists working in the districts where COVID-19 cases have been reported. The demand also includes health insurance and special motivational allowances to the journalists working during such health crisis.
