Information and communications ministry’s circular, stamped confidential,directing a department to stop giving advertisement to The Bhutanese has raised a fundamental question if the government is attempting to gag critical media houses by cutting off its lifeline – ads
A confidential circular issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MOIC) directing a department under its wing not to entertain any advertisement to the biweekly newspaper, The Bhutanese, has stirred a controversy.
The chief executive officer of the newspaper, Tenzing Lamsang, has called such a move by the ministry as a vendetta campaign against The Bhutanese for running critical investigative stories on the government.
““The government is trying to get back at me as a media professional for my earlier works – Gyelpozhing land grab, health ministry procurement scam, and Bhutan lottery scam,” he said. “It is being done to silence us and also to send a message to other media on the consequences of challenging the government.”
The information and communications minister, Lyonpo Nandalal Rai clarified that the circular was fallout of a communication lapse between him and his subordinate who drafted the circular.
The circular, stamped confidential, was issued by MOIC’s officiating chief administrative officer Karma Tenzin on April 02.
The circular states, “We would like to inform your Department not to entertain any advertisement, announcement, notification, circular etc to the media “The Bhutanese” till the ministry issues further directives.”
The circular also states that this is as per the instructions conveyed by the MOIC minister.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Lyonpo Nandalal Rai explained,“It was a caution taken after the Ministry of Finance directed us to reduce expenditure on advertisements. I was talking in the context of the Bhutanese media and my official interpreted it as “The Bhutanese” newspaper and it happens that the paper’s name is The Bhutanese.”
The minister further said that they realized the error even before the circular became effective and withdrew it within two to three days.
The officiating chief administrative officer who signed the circular admitted the mistake. “It was my mistake that I misunderstood the minister,” said Karma Tenzin. “We acknowledged the mistake immediately.”
“The circular was not even implemented,” said the head of media and relations division, DawaPenjor. “It was a clear case of miscommunication.”
The chief executive officer of The Bhutanese, Tenzing Lamsang, however refused to buy the explanation. “It is obvious Karma Tenzin is covering up for his ministry and is being used as a scapegoat,” said Tenzing Lamsang.
“The finance ministry’s circular to cut cost was issued on June 11 while the MoIC circular was drafted long back in April,” he said.
Tenzing Lamsang also argued that no government circular is marked confidential. “Its confidentiality marks its intent. It has been confirmed by officials in the ministry that the circular was in effect from day one and there is no question of miscommunication,” he said. “Even if it was miscommunication why would it say to stop ads to all Bhutanese media.The Ministry of Finance has never said that advertising should be completely stopped.”
While supporting the advertisement policy and guidelines streamlining reach and content, he said that the government on a daily basis has been targeting The Bhutanese directly and indirectly ever since the newspaper came in the market.
“It is unfortunate the same ministry responsible for the growth of a media is doing this and a circular like this does not inspire any confidence in the ministry,” said Tenzing Lamsang, adding that even the cabinet made attempts to delay the license earlier.
He also claimed that the paper’s revenue has fallen drastically after the circular was issued. The newspaper made Nu 800, 000 in March from advertisements, which dropped to Nu 100, 000 in July.
“Other nine ministries have stopped giving us ads simultaneously. I am told similar directives have been made verbally to other ministries,” said the CEO. “It is apparent that we have been blacklisted,”
The Bhutanese is planning to file an official complaint to the Journalist Association of Bhutan and also considering to report it to the Anti Corruption Commission.
“It is clear case of policy corruption,” said Tenzing Lamsang.
Meanwhile the secretary of the ministry, Dasho Kinley Dorji, did not comment stating that the minister clarified the issue. “It was between the minister and the administration officer, I wasn’t here when it was discussed,” he said.
Communication minister’s miscommunication twist,
August 16, 2012 at 2:33 pm
Good work. Please continue to feed us more with such true stories.
August 16, 2012 at 2:31 pm
a good piece of journalism at work. Thank you for the information, and please keep informing the with more such true stories.
August 15, 2012 at 3:58 pm
It’s a big lesson for The Bhutanese. One day The Bhutanese might be even seized and Tenzing Lamsang jailed for always going against the government. So, they really ought to be careful. However loud u shout, the government is the government. U cannot do anything. After all, the majority of Bhutanese people look at our government from both positive and negative angles….not like The Bhutanese which focuses only on the negatives.
August 14, 2012 at 10:13 pm
I didnt know its tenzin lamsang news paper, from today I will also read the bhutanese and nothing else.
August 14, 2012 at 4:09 pm
If it was meant ‘bhutanese media’ we should not entertain any advertisement, announcement, notification, circular etc to bhutanese media and instead we can advertise in the media of other countries- bbc,cnn,ndtv, telegraph,national geograpgy, animal pnalet, pogo, wwe,b4u, the fashion channels, or foreign media.
August 13, 2012 at 6:40 pm
ha ha! after reading all the threads and even watching ‘The review’ in BBSTV, i had hard time digesting the MOIC’s ministers’ comment and more surprising is the one who drafted confidential letter acknowledge his mistake for taking minsters’ message in wrong sense! Come on reader, who the fool is going to believe the MoIC Ministers’ Miscommunicated story that vindicated the ‘the bhutanese newspaper’! However, we shouldn’t be surprised after all we are dealing with Nandalal Rai and anything, anywhere and at anytime and with anyone any werd things are not rule out.
I feel sad for the said newspaper and sympathy lies with all media houses. No wonder, the ‘JAB’ needs to be strong and should work on framing legal policies that will ensure protection of freedom of pvt. media houses and journalist alike. “Every dog has his day and every day will not remain as a sunday’ thus i hope there will come a day which will prove lucky and favourable for all media personnel and media houses.
August 13, 2012 at 5:03 pm
(Policy) Corruption is still a big issue especially at the top of the pyramidal set up of the bureaucracy. If we are men of principles we must always be able to endure truth beyond anything.
For me this a sign of submission that they infact were corrupt. Not being able to withstand the courage and power of truth a single man wants to tell, they (few people in power) try hush hush things and try to maim activist.
@ Lamsang you must come out and tell the truth as you mentioned is backed by documentary evidence, it is right time. This will help people know about who the people really are, before 2013. The whole electorate must be fortified by the truth that you tell.
Until you came into the scene the Bhutanese media was more or less cowardly. I am personally impressed by the successive stories that you came up with. You could bring out the big fishes out of the dirty pond.
Hats off and more stories please ultimately truth matters the most.
August 13, 2012 at 2:57 pm
I doubt the miscommunication between the Administrative Officer and the minister himself. Because, one clear thing is that, if we are to believe the ministers’ word then how come the word “CONFIDENTIAL” is typed on the office order??? It is surprising how the Minister is commiting a great blunder in a democractic set-up of govt., his govt. must do everything else to make the media grow stronger and stronger, because media houses irrespective of what content they carry, must be given due recognition, respect and equal support by the govt. as well as the public. As it is the media who who keeps the public and govt. informed, a bridge which keeps every one informed on everything. I salute the “the Bhutanese’ newspaper for bringing public shocking stories which had helped the country save millions of nu.going into accounts of corrupted officials, 1. lottery scam, 2.gyelpozhing scam, etc, i believe every scam has been brought to public eye by brave, confident and a person who knows no fear from powerful ministers.
Kudos to Tenzin Lamsang. He is a man who have the guts to bring the name of powerful elites for their most dirtiest acts. We would have not known that such scams and corruption at greater levels involving huge money and properties by the so called power elites took place in our country. Had it been heard through word of mouth or hear say, we would have never believed such such scams have existed. It just showed how the common Bhutanese folks have huge trust, faith and believe in allmost all of the media houses.
May all the pvt. media houses grow successfully and hope the next govt. will not show poor attitude towards you.
August 13, 2012 at 2:18 pm
It wash’t a miscommunication which the minister insists on. It is just a minister trying to rationalize his ill intention. what is the need to use the words ‘bhutanese media’ when it is obvious that we dont have foreign media operating in the country especially depending on the revenue from the bhutanese government ads. So the minister is trying fool us by making excuses that it is just a mistake of positioning the words in the sentences…
August 12, 2012 at 10:29 pm
DPT will come and DPT will go but The Bhutanese will live on. Good Job and Good Luck Tenzing Lamsang
August 12, 2012 at 1:04 am
THIS IS UTTER B/S!
MOIC says circular sent after Ministry of Finance directive to cut cost on ads. MOF sent the letter dated JUNE 11th. MOIC issued their circulation APRIL 2nd. Kha ge shop chap ru mito ge shop mi chap ba tey wai wai …. go back and look at the dates of the directive.
Old wolves tricks are written down in books. People also have mastered it. No need for such lies. Its ovious the Cabinet ministers are framing the Bhutanese for investigative journalism. They are trying to initiate their own boycott movement on a private newspaper.
August 12, 2012 at 12:42 am
Well, “The Bhutanese” deserves it. I never read The Bhutanese because it is so critical that it simply unearths faults and make them look so bad. All they care is targeting Government and bring the goverrnment to its knees. There is no sense of responsibility. To me it looks like The Bhutanese is taking things personally. And my friends and people around me agrees with me. The Bhutanese is simply trying to act like many Indian media which are biased to one party or other. While banning a media from ads may not be right thing to do ( if it is true at all) but I think The Bhutanese also has to grow up and look at things wholistically and more responsibly and not misuse the media rights.
August 13, 2012 at 2:33 pm
hey sonam…its your right to whether you choose to read TheBhutanese or not but are absolutely wrong to say the The Bhutanese should be deprived the share of govt. ad. The bhutanese story about the government and the people who runs it holds water so far. if there is any false accusation, then the government has every right to drag it to the court and charge for defamation. So far it didn’t happen which in itself validates that The Bhutanese is right about its stories. It is not The Bhutanese misusing media rights but govt misusing its powers. So, sonam ‘speak the truth to power’.
August 15, 2012 at 7:30 pm
I am with Sonam, the Bhutanese does not deserve to get any support from the RGOB, all their stories paint a pathetic picture of Bhutan to the outside world, that of a country that has always been full of corruption and if it continues that way, it won’t be long before we stop getting aid from countries that tie where their aid money goes to good governance. If that happens, we will only have the Bhutanese to blame.
August 12, 2012 at 12:21 am
well,
it is sad, I’m willing to encourage all my family members to buy the newspaper from the stalls… n contribute to it’s survival…
August 11, 2012 at 11:58 pm
If the Bhutanese paper dies then we will all know that democracy is dead in Bhutan too and the beautiful nob of democracy given by our kings have been grabbed by a bunch of power hungry and corrupt men in orange.
I say how long will we take this. sooner or later we have to come out on the streets and march to these ministers offices and homes.
can’t wait for 2013….please come soon.
August 11, 2012 at 5:32 pm
well i think the matter is obvious. The MOIC minister is at fault for doing such a thing though he denies it. But the source of such a decision obviously has come from the cabinet and the PM in particular as they feel particularly targeted by The Bhutanese.
It is true, the Bhutanese has written a lot of sensational and negative articles about the PM and Co. But these stories are not fiction. So they do have something to hide. Otherwise they could easily take The Bhutanese to court.
There is definitely a government conspiracy to shut down critical newspapers. It is shameful that it is our democratic govt that is upto such tricks.
August 11, 2012 at 1:12 pm
This is a sad sad development for media freedom in Bhutan. Bhutan ‘s democracy instead of going forward is going backwards. The MoIC minister should resign as it is very clear that this was a deliberate attempt to silence The Bhutanese.