Journalism in Bhutan suffering from a lack of transparency

The sight of reporters hanging around ministries or agencies must be annoying, because they are nosy and do what it takes to get the job of informing the people done. If there is anything positive to be drawn, it is a sign that they are no more relying on mere sound bites provided by newsmakers.

It should be seen as a positive development in the young industry, which is encouraged by the Constitution, directly by ensuring freedom of speech and indirectly through the right to information provision. Journalists, however, are finding it difficult to gather information, as officials are instructed by “higher authorities” not to talk to media, or information is classified as “sensitive”, even if it is a proposal to construct a road.


Prime Minister Lyonchhoen Jigme Y Thinley has promised, several times, that his government would support the media because it is still at a nascent stage. It is true that media in Bhutan has a long way to go and needs support. But the greatest support would be through the free flow of information, because information is at the heart and soul of journalism.


Bhutanese media would agree that much has improved after the commitment from the Lyonchhoen, but today we still have officials, especially civil servants, reluctant to raise their voice or share important information without ‘permission’. The fear of losing jobs or jeopardising careers is still a bottleneck in the flow of information. Those, who dare to share information, are “marked”, reprimanded and considered disloyal. The advantage of being a small society and Bhutanese journalists having friends and relatives to rely for tip offs is also backfiring, as ‘authorities’ try to hunt down officials with relatives working in the media.

Many journalists sat on stories for week for the secretary or the minister to come back from a tour abroad to complete his story, because the official with the information needs their permission to open his mouth.

And this is happening in an age, where enabled by internet, everybody is writing their own views for the world to read. Most of the time it is all unsubstantiated information. Therefore, it becomes a responsibility for the established media to provide the right information.

Journalists are finding it more difficult as they chase stories of corruption, policies gone wrong or lack of basic services. This is because journalism is developing and journalists want to go beyond official functions and sound bites. It is easy to write about an activity launched, but difficult to get officials when the activity has gone wrong.