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Journalists & Social Media

Last month, two separate survey reports were published on ‘Nepali journalists’ use of social media’.

The first Journalist & Social Media: 2011 National Survey of Nepali Journalists was released by Center for Media Research – Nepal (CMR-Nepal). This is a survey that assesses the journalists’ use of social media, the purposes of their usages and their perceptions about social media as an aid for their professional activities.

The other, FNJ Social Media Survey Report 2012, was released by Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ). The study was conducted by FNJ in association with InterNews Nepal. Continue reading…

June 27, 2012 by Journalism & Media Mainstream Media Social Media

Sadly, Sex Sells!

Nepal debates what’s acceptable and what’s not at a time when sex and foul language are key ingredients of some Nepali movies; and sexually explicit pictures are spread all over Nepali tabloids.

Nepali movies these days seems to be on two streams: the traditional types are those with well-known actors where everything is mixed and targeted for lower middle class audiences; and the experimental new ones targeted for theatres at malls for upper middle class audiences. The second type generates more hype (and most possibly profits) because they are on the theaters where audiences pays more to watch and they also get a lot of mainstream media coverage.

When there were whispers going on about the movies including unnecessary scenes of sexual motivation; the success of Chapali Height made film producers and directors to believe on age-old doctrine: Sex Sells! Continue reading…

June 1, 2012 by Monologue Sadly!

R.I.P. Constituent Assembly. What next?

On May 27, 2012, the Constituent Assembly (CA) expired dashing hopes of citizens of Nepal. After four extensions to double the CA’s original tenure of two years, the biggest experiment in Nepali politics proved unsuccessful. The 601-member CA comes to an end as unceremoniously as possible without a word of good-bye or apology from the chair.

The major political parties, the largest Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), the ‘democratic’ Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal – United Marxist-Leninist and the alliance of parties based in southern plains United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) could not reach an agreement on new constitution and with the Supreme Court (SC) verdict that CA term can be no longer extended, the CA has nowhere to go but to hit the bottom. Continue reading…

May 29, 2012 by Politics Talks Sadly!

A Leap to Peace

Nepal Army took the chain of control on Maoist combatants in a important development of Nepal’s peace process. However, the wounds of war will only be healed by truth reconciliation.

Cartoon by Rajesh KC/Republica (Reproduced with permission)

For the record, on April 10, 2012, Nepal Army took control of the weapons and the chain of command of the Maoist’s People’s Liberation Army. This officially makes United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) a civilian party without weapons and combatants; and the change marks an important achievement in Nepal’s peace process after the end of Maoist’s 10-year-long People’s War. Continue reading…

April 11, 2012 by Politics Talks

Media Illiteracy Weakens Journalism

[During a conference in the University of Connecticut, I was asked to speak on media literacy in Nepal. What could I say? I studied journalism and mass communication at Tribhuvan University for seven years completing more than 15 annual subjects on media. None of them focused on media literacy. I have gone through media courses of other universities of Nepal and I found media literary in none of them.

I also studied English language and literature during my university days. There were courses on critical thinking but they didn’t deal with media texts. Continue reading…

March 30, 2012 by Journalism & Media

Theorizing tfcNepal’s success

On March 24, Tweet for Cause Nepal (@tfcNepal) celebrated its first anniversary. tfcNepal is a small social media initiative for social change that aims to bring smiles on the faces of the underprivileged by providing them little support. In a year, the initiative succeeded in running five projects (a project = a support worth around Rs. 30,000), including one outside Kathmandu. The initiative is based on the donation provided by its self-declared members.

I am one of around 1,400 proud members of the initiative who provide occasional donation (any amount of my choice). And, it’s relatively successful in crowd-funding its projects and keeping things tied together.

Continue reading…

March 25, 2012 by Social Media

Weak foundations?

In less than a month, Nepal´s sports fraternity will be in full attendance at Dhangadi and Mahendranagar. The two cities will host the Sixth National Games from February 26 to March 4. This will be one of the biggest events in the region and the Games will be closely followed nationwide.

However, at a time when sports officials should be involved with the nitty gritty, they are said to be busy ensuring timely completion of the sports facilities for the Games. There are media reports, almost every day, that the facilities are being built in hurry to ensure that they are somehow ready by the time the big event is due. Also, these reports hint at substandard materials being used in the constructions. Continue reading…

February 2, 2012 by Sporty Spirit on Republica

Weak foundations?

In less than a month, Nepal´s sports fraternity will be in full attendance at Dhangadi and Mahendranagar. The two cities will host the Sixth National Games from February 26 to March 4. This will be one of the biggest events in the region and the Games will be closely followed nationwide.

However, at a time when sports officials should be involved with the nitty gritty, they are said to be busy ensuring timely completion of the sports facilities for the Games. There are media reports, almost every day, that the facilities are being built in hurry to ensure that they are somehow ready by the time the big event is due. Also, these reports hint at substandard materials being used in the constructions. Continue reading…

February 2, 2012 by Sporty Spirit on Republica

Proposed Media Policy: Bad Timing

The Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC) has thrown out a draft of Media Policy 2012 urging stakeholders to send feedback that it said will be incorporated before finalizing it. A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) has published front-page advertisements urging all concerned organization and people to send the feedback to their email. The NGO also held three consultation meetings, including one in Kathmandu, to discuss the proposed media policy.

The proposed policy is prepared by a committee headed by MoIC joint secretary under a project funded by Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA). The ‘Project for Promoting Peace Building and Democratization through the Capacity Development of the Media Sector in Nepal’ (or Media for Peace Project) aims to achieve two targets: first, functioning of Radio Nepal as a public service broadcasting (PSB) and second, revision of media policy, acts, regulations and guidelines. Continue reading…

January 28, 2012 by Journalism & Media Mainstream Media

On Binod Das

Binod Das is out of the national team! On Tuesday, Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) announced the preliminary squad for the World Cup Twenty20 Qualifiers, axing former captain Binod.

This is the first time in almost 13 years that the cricketer from Bara was not considered for a team he is qualified to play for. This alone speaks a lot about his contribution to cricket in Nepal. Continue reading…

January 28, 2012 by Sporty Spirit on Republica

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