Malé, Maldives – Editors Guild of Maldives has called for a mechanism to ensure that the media is funded from the state budget to run independently, just as the state funds political parties.
The Editors Guild Maldives said in a statement yesterday that it believes it is important to allocate a limit from the state budget to run the media independently in Maldives.
The statement said that the media is the fourth pillar of democracy and should be made free from influence. The statement also read that the it believes that freedom of the media is the best way for a fair and responsible society and that the media should be free from financial influence in shaping its activities.
“The media is the one that provides clear information about the work of state institutions and government agencies and the activities and activities of political parties and various parties,” the statement read.
If the media does not provide accurate information and spreads biased news, the people will not get the accurate information they need to make decisions, the statement said.
The statement also stated that if the media does not hold the government and the state accountable, it will lead to corruption and misuse of public funds.
Under the Political Parties Act, the Elections Commission must issue 1 percent of the state budget to the political parties with more than 10,000 members.
