Mass Media in Post-1990 Nepal

Chautari Book Series 29

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.
 

Inside the book

• Acknowledgements
• Introduction - 1
• I. Overview
  1. Analyzing Media Growth - 17
  2. Kathmandu’s Monopoly - 21
  3. The Absent Majority - 25
  4. Education and Effectiveness - 29
  5. Investigative Journalism - 33
• II. Print
  1. Watching the Op-ed Pages - 41
  2. Ersatz Nostalgia and English Journalism - 45
  3. The Plight of Dogmatic Weeklies - 50
  4. On Reporting Sports - 54
  5. The Magazine Boom - 59
  6. Nepali Literary Magazines - 65
  7. Reading Attitudes - 70
  8. Deurali: The Other Print Media - 75
  9. Regional Print Media - 80
  10. NGOs in Print Production - 84
• III. Radio
  1. FM Radio and Urbanscape - 91
  2. FM Radio and New Urban Communities - 95
  3. Independent News in FM Radio - 99
  4. Public Radio and Societal Engagement - 104
  5. Radio and Our Literary Landscapes - 108
  6. Discussing Books over Radio - 112
  7. FM Radio as Democratic Expression - 116
  8. What Ails Independent Radio Journalism? - 120
• IV. Visual/Internet
  1. Photojournalism: Nepali Challenges - 127
  2. Bhanubhakta: The Failure of a Historical Film - 132
  3. Beyond the Internet Hoopla - 136
• V. Media and Freedom
  1. Right to Information - 141
  2. Exercising the Right to Information - 145
  3. Media and the 2001 Emergency: - 151
  4. Curtailment of Freedoms
  5. Early Media Responses to the 2001 Emergency - 160
  6. Promoting Media Freedom - 165
• VI. Women and Media
  1. Women’s Writings - 173
  2. Covering Violence against Women - 178
  3. Media and Trafficking in Women - 183
  4. Asmita at 50: Feminist Agenda for Our Media - 187
• VII. Media Performance, Institutions and Society
  1. On SAARC Reporting - 195
  2. Monitoring Research - 199
  3. Demonizing the Maoists? - 203
  4. On Book Promotion - 207
  5. The Work of Journalism: Interrogation - 211
  6. Debating Media Quality - 215
  7. Donor Support for Media: Public Assessment - 219
  8. Foreign Direct Investment in Nepali Media - 223
  9. Journalists’ Association: Circus to Professionalism? - 227
  10. Creating a National News Service - 232
  11. Media Advocacy: What? - 236
  12. Modeling NGO-Media Relationships - 241
  13. Writers, Remuneration and Independence - 246
• Further Readings - 251