Is Bhutanese media part of govt?

Posted On April 30, 2011

In a recent press meet, the 12th episode of the elected government, Prime Minister Jigmi Thiney is said to have mentioned that media is the fourth branch of the government. The statement, if rightly quoted by the national newspaper Kuensel, stunned me.

To my understanding, media is not part of the government. However, the PM’s statement evidently speaks the fact that media in Bhutan is part of the government. If the Bhutanese government wants it to be its fourth branch, without doubt attempts are underway to pull down the ropes of budding media industry.

The universal understanding is that media is fourth branch of a state. In democracy, nation is traditionally run through three parallel powers – executive, legislative and judiciary. Media and its role come to the limelight only in 19th century whereas democratic culture had started centuries before in Europe.

Realising the importance of media and its role in governance, policy making, implementing plans, educating and instantly sharing information to a greater mass, a general consensus was reached to regard it as the fourth estate of a nation. However, there aren’t any such laws or convention to this effect. It’s just an understanding.

If Kuensel has rightly quoted the PM, media movement is leading a wrong path in Bhutan. Media must be the watchdog of all other three estates of the state and ensure that all work in balance for creating a judicious happy society. The government cannot expect too much from media at this stage rather has to avail opportunities for the new journalists to learn the right things media do and media operate.

Statement by information minister Nandalal Rai during the meet made me quite happy noting that government has not made it mandatory for every publication house to publish a Dzongkha version. It’s only the time to see if he takes initiatives to amend BICMA Act which mandates compulsory Dzongkha edition for a newspaper.