During the National Assembly’s Question Hour yesterday, Menbi-Tshenkhar Member of Parliament Tempa Dorji expressed grave concern over the state of press freedom in Bhutan, following the country’s dramatic fall in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
During the National Assembly’s Question Hour yesterday, Menbi-Tshenkhar Member of Parliament Tempa Dorji expressed grave concern over the state of press freedom in Bhutan, following the country’s dramatic fall in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
The index, published annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ranked Bhutan 152nd out of 180 countries — down from 33rd in 2022 — marking one of the steepest declines globally.
Citing the report, Tempa Dorji pointed to Bhutan’s lowest score on the “social indicator”, which reflects widespread self-censorship among journalists, often out of fear of social or political retaliation.
He called for clarity on what legislative, institutional, or administrative measures the government is undertaking to ensure a safe, independent environment for journalists.
Responding to the concerns, Lyonpo Namgyal Dorji, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Employment, acknowledged the seriousness of the RSF report but questioned its credibility.
“The RSF report has brought Bhutan to 152nd position and more than the government, even the media is unsure to believe the information given,” he said.
While not outright rejecting the report, Lyonpo challenged its methodology and sample size, noting that “only three” Bhutanese media personnel reportedly participated in the survey.
He argued that the country’s position was inconsistent with realities on the ground.
“Countries where situations are much worse, where press freedom is not present, have done better than us in the report,” he said.
He further asserted that since the onset of democracy, no journalist in Bhutan had faced threats to their life, imprisonment, or severe repercussions for their work.
On the report’s critique of the economic vulnerability of media houses, Lyonpo agreed that financial sustainability remains a challenge but rejected the suggestion that government policies are to blame.
“Many of the media houses are not able to make profits. Clubbing the economic issues with freedom of press and painting a picture that this is because of government policies, is something which cannot be relative,” he said.
Addressing concerns around restricted access to information — a key factor highlighted in the RSF report — lyonpo outlined that a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) was introduced in 2023 to facilitate media access to information from ministries, private institutions, and local governments.
“The media’s role and responsibility is important,” he said, adding that structural reforms are already underway.
He also pointed to various government initiatives designed to support a more vibrant press, including the Media Enterprise Development Budget, which allocates Nu 700,000 to Nu 800,000 annually to each of the six private newspapers.
Media Endowment Fund is in the pipeline to offer longer-term financial support and capacity-building opportunities, lyonpo added.
However, lyonpo acknowledged the complexities of state support, warning that “sometimes, it would seem as though the government is taking over the media.”
Still, he dismissed any suggestion that Bhutan’s media was in crisis.
“The findings of the RSF report paint a picture that Bhutan’s media landscape has reached a pitiful state, which cannot be true,” he said, claiming that many journalists themselves disagreed with the report’s assessment.
Adding to the debate, MP for Gangzur-Minjey, Loday Tsheten, raised concerns about subtle political pressure on media outlets, including reduced advertising revenue and threats of licence cancellations for those critical of the government. He emphasised the need to strengthen constitutional guarantees to the right to information and protect the media from political reprisals.
In response, lyonpo argued that RSF’s ‘political indicator’ was ambiguous and not limited to government actions but included the broader political ecosystem. He also highlighted that support to private media has come not only from the government but also from international and non-governmental organisations.
“From the government’s side, the main priority is to ensure timely delivery of news to the people, which helps in nation building,” lyonpo said.
