March 15: Senior government officials and media representatives who attended a daylong meeting to brainstorm the role of the Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) under parliamentary democracy said a vibrant media is essential for a vibrant democracy.

The daylong round table meeting in Paro was organized by the BBS to brainstorm its role and future direction as a public service broadcaster. It was also organized to create better understanding of the BBS and the Bhutanese media in general.

The participants included government officials including the secretaries of the various ministries, the chairperson of the Anti-corruption Commission Aum Neten Zam, the Auditor General Ugen Chewang, Vice Chancellor of Royal University of Bhutan Pema Thinley, BBS Board members, representatives from the three newspapers and the three FM radio stations, and the BBS.

Opening the daylong meeting, the chairman of the BBS Board of Directors Dasho Tashi Phuntshog said media development is crucial for a vibrant democracy. He said the reach of the BBS is unrivalled and the government must support its growth and development while at the same time ensuring its independence and autonomy. He said while information sharing is often talked about in meetings like this, in practice information sharing not only with the media but even among government agencies leaves a lot to be desired.

Dasho Tashi Phuntshog also spoke about the importance of responsible journalism, accuracy and fair and balanced reporting. He said reporters should not fear telling the truth if it is well researched, factually accurate and presented in a fair and balanced manner.

The Managing Director of BBS said the meeting was organized to make the national broadcaster better known to policymakers and brainstorm the present and future course of the BBS as the country moves into parliamentary democracy.

The meeting also discussed the importance of responsible journalism, media ownership, financial sustainability and how it will influence editorial decision and independence, the importance of the media remaining nonpartisan, fair, balanced, and accurate.

Participants said while the job done by BBS and the Bhutanese media is commendable given the limitations, it has a long way to go. They said reports needs to be well researched and analytical.