To keep the country up to date with police affairs, Cambodia’s National Police force is planning to launch a nationwide newspaper for officers and civilians alike by early next year.

Titled Nokorbal Cheap, the 16-page tabloid-style newspaper, which will be released daily from Monday to Friday, has been in the trial stage since October, National Police information task force chief Ath Bonny said.

“Nowadays, many people want to know about police activities and … our goal is to report about it and give the official police stance on news in our paper so it’s easier to get information,” Bonny said.

Apart from police-related stories, the paper will also contain articles on current news affairs in the Kingdom. Police hope to start publishing Nokorbal Cheap publicly by January , said Ministry of Information special adviser Ouk Kim Seng.

The newspaper, Kim Seng added, is a positive step towards transparency, especially for the police force, which has been riddled with news of corruption in the past.

“It’s a good outreach for police and people across the country, because this newspaper will focus on what the police are supposed to do and their performance,” Kim Seng said.

During a meeting on Tuesday, Information Minister Khieu Kanharith cautioned National Police members against purely reporting on police functions and urged them to observe conscientious news gathering principles, Kim Seng said.

If ran ethically, Transparency International executive director Kol Preap said, the newspaper could be a good avenue to “educate the people”.