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Reporting on Nepali News Media in English

Prakash Bom - 12/21/2007

It has been very difficult for Nepali daily news readers to find out whether the news that is reported on Nepali news media in English is authentic or propaganda. Sometimes the reporting has been misrepresented unintentionally but oftentimes it is done without thorough investigations. It is basically called sloppy reporting. Nepali news media has yet to refine their reporting to achieve the media-integrity or establish the trust with their readers.

For example, let us look at this fresh news reporting by Kantipur Report on its news portal ( http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=131666) on SPA taskforce's twenty-point agreement draft and compare the same news reporting by BBC Nepal ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/nepali/news/story/2007/12/071218_taskforce.shtml).

According to Kantipur reporting that SPA task force has prepared the twenty point agreement draft but in Kantipur's own words "The draft will be tabled at the meeting of the top leaders of the seven parties slated for Wednesday morning, said a member of the taskforce."

BBC Nepali has reported same news more carefully. It begins with that "After thorough discussion including CA elections schedule in March 2008 SPA has finalized twenty-fold agreement draft. However, the dialogue between Nepali Congress president GP Koiral and Maoist chairman Prachand will finalize certain subject matters on the twenty-fold agreement."

The difference lies here between precise reporting and uninformed reporting. Kantipur reporting puts all SPA members in one basket with less scrutiny of the political development and its intricacy. Whereas BBC tells its readers who and where, and through what procedures the twenty-fold draft will be endorsed. It is a question of having a discipline of reporting that is specific or otherwise slapdash for just guess-general.

However, BBC does not mention Nepal Workers & Peasants Party's Eight-point note of dissent. In stead BBC has mentioned that SPA members have agreed to sign on the twenty-fold agreement on Wednesday to give headway for the implementation. However, BBC mentioned that according to PFN leader Lilamani Pokharel the dialogue between Nepali Congress president GP Koiral and Maoist chairman Prachand will give the final shape to the formation of the new government – regarding the formation of the new government the further discussion is expected.

On the modality of the CA election ballot Kantipur Report has published this – "They recommended that the 601-member CA be elected through a mixed electoral system in which 335 members are elected through a proportional electoral system, 240 are elected under a first-past-the-post system and 26 nominated by the prime minister."

But BBC Nepali mentioned that according to PFN leader Lilamani Pokharel upon 601 CA representative seats it has been agreed to make simple electoral procedures. That would process 240 representatives' election through majority base electoral system (FPTP), 335 representatives' election through proportional representation electoral system (PR), and 26 representatives will nominated by the cabinet.

Such differences in reporting lay different connotations that gives different impressions to the readers. How to report authentic news is the challenge that contemporary Nepali News media is facing. The news media plays a great role in nation's stability, peace and bring hope in people for democracy and economic prosperity.

Kantipur reporting has almost taken the mainstream news media representation and many news media online and paper in South Asia copy Kantipur reporting. For proof check on this news of New Kerala Blog that has exactly presented Kantipur reporting in its news portal – "http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=5148." Democracy gives news media press freedom but it does not mean a mainstream news media can report sloppy news. Democracy creates a competitive platform for news media reporting and that is not cheap and easy in terms of gaining credentials.

At this point, readers request for all Nepali news media will be reporting authentic, scrutinized and informative news. This should be the moral responsibility of the news media. Under the rule of law news media that propagate news without any supporting evidence should be accountable. Democracy for all is an expensive process that every citizen has to contribute as it proceeds further. Of course, we cannot continue living under conditions of our nation that cannot even fulfill the basic human requirements without very little participations of the citizens of Nepal. Participations implies also financial obligation of all citizens to nation. Nation is not going to free-feed the citizens and their enterprises such as news media. However, news media just cannot proceed making money by reporting news that is sloppy thus misrepresenting readers.