Kathmandu - The government has introduced an ordinance that substantially expands the jurisdiction of the Press Council, giving the country's media regulator the authority to investigate media content even when no complaint has been filed. The ordinance, reported on November 4 and 5, 2026, was brought forward on the government's recommendation. It also revises the legal definitions of social media and journalism, while extending the journalist code of conduct to social media platforms.

Taken together, the changes place a far wider universe of published content under the council's oversight, extending a regulatory framework designed for traditional journalism into the digital sphere, where news is increasingly produced, shared and consumed.

At its core, the ordinance makes three principal changes:

  • It expands the Press Council's jurisdiction, allowing the body to investigate media content even without a complaint.
  • It revises the legal definitions of social media and journalism.
  • It extends the journalist code of conduct to social media as well.

Authority to act without a complaint

The central provision of the ordinance is the expansion of the Press Council's investigative authority. Under the council's existing complaint-driven approach, action against media content has generally depended on a grievance being formally lodged. The ordinance removes that prerequisite, allowing the regulator to open investigations into media content on its own initiative, often described as suo motu powers.

In practical terms, the council will no longer need to wait for an affected individual or organization to come forward. Content that may fall short of professional or ethical standards can now be taken up by the council directly, meaning material that might previously have escaped formal review simply because no one complained can now face scrutiny.

The change also alters the character of the regulator's role. A complaint-driven body essentially responds to grievances brought before it, while a body empowered to act on its own initiative must actively monitor and assess the media environment. How the council exercises that expanded discretion, and the criteria it develops for selecting matters to investigate, will go a long way toward determining how the new powers operate in practice.

New definitions for a digital media landscape

Alongside the expanded jurisdiction, the ordinance revises the definitions of social media and journalism. The revision is aimed at aligning the legal framework with a media environment in which the line between professional newsrooms and online publishing has become increasingly blurred, and in which social platforms serve as a primary channel for the distribution of news.

The definitions matter because they establish the perimeter of the council's authority. A revised definition of journalism bears directly on who falls within the scope of oversight intended for the press, while a formal definition of social media provides the legal basis for bringing online platforms, and the content published on them, within the council's jurisdiction. Read together, the two revisions give the regulator a clearer statutory footing to examine digital content alongside conventional reporting.

Journalist code of conduct now covers social media

The ordinance's most immediate consequence for online publishing is the extension of the journalist code of conduct to social media. The code, which sets out the professional and ethical standards expected of journalists and media outlets, will now serve as the benchmark against which content on social platforms can also be measured.

For media houses and individual journalists who use social media to publish or amplify their reporting, the same standards will now follow them onto those platforms. For content that originates solely on social media, the extension of the code creates a formal accountability mechanism where the journalist code of conduct previously did not apply. In both cases, the Press Council's oversight of the code becomes the common reference point for what is published across traditional and social channels alike.

A wider regulatory net

The Press Council has long served as the oversight mechanism for Nepal's press, monitoring adherence to the journalist code of conduct and addressing violations. The ordinance widens both the reach of that mandate and the tools available to enforce it, adding new categories of content to its purview and removing the requirement of a complaint before an investigation can begin.

The decision to proceed through an ordinance, rather than a standard legislative amendment, places the changes on a faster track, allowing the expanded jurisdiction and revised definitions to come into effect on the government's own recommendation. The provisions were reported publicly on November 4 and 5, 2026.

With the ordinance now introduced, attention will turn to implementation: which content the council chooses to investigate, how the revised definitions are interpreted and applied, and how the extension of the code of conduct to social media is enforced. Those choices will determine the ordinance's real-world impact on Nepal's media landscape, and they are certain to be watched closely by journalists, media houses and online publishers whose work now falls under a regulator with considerably broader reach.