Dechen Dolkar

The Department of Media, Creative Industry, and Intellectual Property (DoMCIIP) is currently seeking feedback from media organisations on the government’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for sharing public information with the media. 

The SOP was first implemented in April last year.

The director of the DoMCIIP, Sonam Penjor, said that the department has recently reached out to media organisations to gather input on the SOP, with the aim of further streamlining sharing of public information.

He added that although the SOP has been in place, many agencies and media personnel have not been following it. “The department is planning to increase awareness and conduct sensitisation programmes for media focal persons in various agencies regarding the SOP on sharing information,” the director said.

The department will reinforce the SOP to ensure more effective and efficient information-sharing practices with the media.

According to the SOP, every agency is required to designate or appoint at least one media focal person and one media spokesperson. The media focal can be the head of the agency’s policy and planning division or any other competent officer. 

The media spokesperson could be the head of the agency or any senior official appointed to the role. However, currently, most agencies do not have a designated media spokesperson. 

The SOP states that all requests for information from the media should be directed to the media focal, who functions as the access-to-information desk for government agencies.

The SOP specifies that every agency’s website should include contact details, such as postal address, phone number, and email. All communication with the media will have to be channeled through the media focal unless otherwise specified.

The SOP also allows the head of the agency, as the official spokesperson, to communicate directly with the media when requests are received. 

The director said that journalists could interview agency heads directly without necessarily going through the media focal.  “The information can be channelled through the media focal person unless it is technical in nature or if the head of the agency lacks information on the particular topic requested.”

The SOP further states that the media focal should be involved in all significant meetings, conferences, consultations, and forums. They can also request information from relevant departments or officers in response to media requests.

However, currently many agencies and media organisations are not aware of the SOP’s information-sharing procedures.

According to the SOP, media focal persons are expected to send an acknowledgment of receipt to journalists within a few hours or, at the latest, within one working day. This acknowledgment should inform the journalist that the request is being reviewed and that the agency aims to respond by the next working day. 

For urgent requests, such as those related to recent incidents, priority should be given, with the agency endeavouring to respond within five working days. If additional time is needed, the media focal is expected to notify the media of the reason and an estimated response date.

Meanwhile, journalists expressed concerns that the SOP should not hinder information sharing.

One journalist said that the SOP should facilitate information access without adding bureaucratic layers. The SOP should not be used as a tool for officials to classify information as sensitive at their discretion.

Another journalist highlighted that delayed responses are currently an issue, with officials often taking weeks to respond, leading to stories being stalled or unpublished.

The executive director of the Journalists’ Association of Bhutan, Rinzin Wangchuk, said that if implemented effectively, the SOP could ensure easier access to information and avoid unnecessary conflicts between agencies and the media. “However, the SOP should not be used to withhold information based on individual officials’ discretion.”

Currently, the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources has implemented the SOP, with questions for the minister now being routed through the media focal. 

The SOP does not stopministers from directly communicating with the media. Reporters usually contact the ministers for information. There was no need to route the questions through the media focal.