Mass Media in Post-1990 Nepal

Last Updated on Thursday, 26 January 2012 07:28 Friday, 25 March 2011 07:56

Chautari Book Series 29

By Pratyoush Onta
First Edition 2006 (2063 v.s.)
Pages: 256, Price Rs. 200
ISBN: 99946-833-4-9

Since 1990 media in Nepal has recorded spectacular growth, both in terms of quantity and quality. Several large newspapers and magazines published by different institutions now characterize the print media landscape while there has been a phenomenal growth in the number of independent FM radio stations. Several factors are responsible for this media growth. This book examines those factors and describes the changes witnessed in the media scene in the last fifteen years. It also analyzes many micro-facets of media in Nepal under the assumption that such attention is crucial to making media a real force for democracy in Nepali society. Apart from an introduction, this book contains 48 short essays under several thematic headings. This book should be read by all those concerned about media, and more broadly, democracy in contemporary Nepal.

Pratyoush Onta is a Kathmandu based historian associated with Martin Chautari. He has edited/co-edited 15 books including Social Scientific Thinking in the Context of Nepal (2004), The Social History of Radio Nepal (2004), and Growing up with Radio (2005). He also edits the journal Studies in Nepali History and Society.


Acknowledgements

Introduction 1

I. Overview
Analyzing Media Growth 17
Kathmandu’s Monopoly 21
The Absent Majority 25
Education and Effectiveness 29
Investigative Journalism 33

II. Print
Watching the Op-ed Pages 41
Ersatz Nostalgia and English Journalism 45
The Plight of Dogmatic Weeklies 50
On Reporting Sports 54
The Magazine Boom 59
Nepali Literary Magazines 65
Reading Attitudes 70
Deurali: The Other Print Media 75
Regional Print Media 80
NGOs in Print Production 84

III. Radio
FM Radio and Urbanscape 91
FM Radio and New Urban Communities 95
Independent News in FM Radio 99
Public Radio and Societal Engagement 104
Radio and Our Literary Landscapes 108
Discussing Books over Radio 112
FM Radio as Democratic Expression 116
What Ails Independent Radio Journalism? 120

IV. Visual/Internet
Photojournalism: Nepali Challenges 127
Bhanubhakta: The Failure of a Historical Film 132
Beyond the Internet Hoopla 136

V. Media and Freedom
Right to Information 141
Exercising the Right to Information 145
Media and the 2001 Emergency: 151
Curtailment of Freedoms
Early Media Responses to the 2001 Emergency 160
Promoting Media Freedom 165

VI. Women and Media
Women’s Writings 173
Covering Violence against Women 178
Media and Trafficking in Women 183
Asmita at 50: Feminist Agenda for Our Media 187

VII. Media Performance, Institutions and Society
On SAARC Reporting 195
Monitoring Research 199
Demonizing the Maoists? 203
On Book Promotion 207
The Work of Journalism: Interrogation 211
Debating Media Quality 215
Donor Support for Media: Public Assessment 219
Foreign Direct Investment in Nepali Media 223
Journalists’ Association: Circus to Professionalism? 227
Creating a National News Service 232
Media Advocacy: What? 236
Modeling NGO-Media Relationships 241
Writers, Remuneration and Independence 246

Further Readings 251

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