By Nav Raj Pokharel
After watching the political leaders on televisions almost every hour and reading the reports in newspapers on what they say and do almost every day, I was compelled to infer that they are not what they try to make the public think what they really are.
You might have the same inkling, if you have been updating information about their activities on an everyday basis.
If you turn on television or the radio or browse newspapers to update yourselves, you will find that they are dragged immensely into news and views for no good reason.
If you watch them further, or read what they say on any issues, you will be surprised to learn that they have answers to every problem.
They even do not hesitate to tell you that their perception of the problem is unique and no one but they can resolve the problem, whether the problem is standoff in parliament, or the day-to-day problem of ordinary people. They are prompt to advise the audience and steps required to address the problem.
You will also hear them say how important and relevant the teaching of Buddha is even today, if they are at the function organized to mark some occasion of Lord Buddha.
They give you free advice on how unity among the different political parties, despite their diverse political ideologies, can coexist in harmony and change the face of the country in a short time, if they are addressing a political gathering, or academic symposium or anything for that matter.
It seems that the country is very fortunate to have such adroit, intelligent and compassionate leaders in a large number.
It has been decades we have been hearing them say so. However, the country has not budged an inch towards progress and development as they professed.
Not only the time-tested dictum, but also the scientific theory has it that every action has its opposite reaction. If the country is not gaining the momentum towards the progress and prosperity as expected, does it not mean that the input from our adroit, intelligent wise and prudent leaders is not right?
Alternatively, does it mean that whatever our adept leaders had been saying to us for years were just lies and nothing else?
Hounded by these realities, I feel irritated to listen to the leaders on television or the radio and newspapers reporting on self-valued statements on a range of issues.
Many ordinary people who expect to see their leaders working hard the whole day , discussing the country's future plans with their subordinates at their offices, are disillusioned to find the high esteemed leaders at every common place attending ceremonies of worshipping Sai Baba, felicitating employees for their paid services, and other interaction programs, instead.
I recollect the piece of information one of my friends, who works for a newspaper, once gave me.
He was giving me tips that journalism was one of the most important and challenging sectors to work. The sector helps in educating people and raising people's level of awareness by disseminating information. I have not had an opportunity to meet him for quite some time now. If I come across him again, I will not forget to ask him to assess the contributions media sector has made to educate and raise the level of awareness among the common people, so far.
Although, I do not know much about the functions of the fourth estate, I construe that media has spoiled the leaders making them unpopular and detested by common people by dragging them into the news the mass has no interest at all.
Although it is important by now, no one has surveyed yet if the people who pay for the papers for information, or spare time to watch television or listen to the radio for news, eventually, feel cheated to find that a larger portion of time and space are being wasted covering "what the leaders do and say today".
Many a time the information the media collect and process, and finally disseminate is of trivial value for the common public. Audiences forget the news the moment they fold the newspapers because the information carried by the media leaves no impact on them.
Doesn't this mean that the principles of journalism the media houses have been guided by so far are obsolete now? If yes, is it not high time now that media need to come up with the policy to serve the public? If not, are the public feeling contented with the media?
I think they are not. Are you?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
PAST SHOWS THE FUTURE
By Nav Raj Pokharel
Since past few decades, Nepal is in desperate need of good government. Political parties that claimed majority or coalesced alliance merely ascended to the power, but failed to make a good government every time they ruled the country. Parties and power institutions, as always, are motivated only for the power.
They are least concerned for maintaining law and order situation and progress of the country. They remain untouched even though subversive activities are rampant and the impunity gains the highest possible point, pushing the lives of people to the limit of frustration. Ordinary people, professionals, and people of various social stratums think and believe that leaders are necessary to better govern the country towards sustainable and reliable peace and prosperity.
However, common people are left neglected and discarded every time a party is inducted to the government. Long- cherished sense of optimism latent in the hearts of conscious people of this country rupture out when a new government is formed. People start talking and believing that change in the government will bring about changes in their real lives as well. Soon, hopes of the people get shattered, political ambitions of the parties and leaders gain newer height.
Although the change in the government brings about the changes in the lives of some people but it is not in the living standard of the common people, but in the status of the leaders, party staunches and, outside the party circle - few sycophants only. Common people, as usual, are always marginalized.
Disillusioned, the people soon opt for new leaders and parties in the government. In this way, deteriorating political, economic, social, and cultural cycles keep on revisiting the country and the people. The leaders are incapable to resolve the problem prudently, although they keep on dispensing lip service and pretend exhibiting alacrity for the change.
Generation of desired change is beyond their ability and capacity. However, they are able and ready for rancor to prove that their self-valued stance is undisputable. But, they will never give creative, productive reasons and assumptions a chance to survive, if they are some how against their interests. Political situation in poor countries is always capricious, elusive. As usual, opportunists are the parties and leaders who always find a scapegoat to blame for their failures and conceal their inabilities when their plots prove unsuitable.
Examine major motives and activities of the political parties and their leaders for the past few decades and you will understand the nitty-gritty and under cover reality of the leaders and their teams- popularly known as parties.
Maoist insurgencies were blamed for adverse results in the country for more than a decade. More than seven times the government was changed within the period the Democracy was restored in the country in 1990 and the then King Gyanedra usurped state power in 2002. The situation did not improve each time government was changed. The deteriorating situation simply did not improve. It was because the root of the problem was always ignored. Systematic, scientific, and eclectic approaches to change the future was never adopted and implemented with honesty, as if it was something of least priority. As a result, the desired future never turned into present. The parties, the leaders, and the then king himself at the end relinquished at the hand of situation, blaming adverse circumstances for their failures. All of them blamed this or that factor for their failures. They merely slink back from the front scene for some time. Nevertheless, wretched condition of the people the leaders and parties instigated upon is irreversible. Whom the people should blame for all this? To their fate?
Inherent inability and established fault the leaders are made of with is the root cause of the problem. To improve the state affairs in the most rational, scientific, democratic, and amicable way is beyond their capability. This protrudes compounded vicissitudes to the people. Leaders and parties lack right democratic culture and wisdom to rectify the problems facing the country as a whole. The leaders in the name of the parties and mandate of the people impose the country all those possible strictures that help fortify their personal and institutional interests only. In the name of people, they will augment the progress, prosperity, and power, leaving the deprived people to take care of themselves.
Review the recent history of Nepal and tell me when did the leaders and parties in multiparty system, and the kings and the shree-shree-shrees in autocratic regime implement the policy that would bring about paradigm shifts in the lives of people? You would not find one.
It seems Nepal is predestined to bear the brunt of all sorts of political, social, and economic problems including insecurity and state of impunity. Leaders and political parties are the key players, as if planted by the divine force, to ensure the Nepalese attain the predestined fate, and not miss them.
Now Nepal is said to have entered into the new phase of political structure and power balance. Again, the new or the same leaders in newer outfits will assume the state power once again. Actions and deeds of the past players will be lashed hard, as usual, and so-called newer and up-to-date vision will be imposed only to show that they are doing something better.
Inability to address the problems facing the state and the people will continue, enervating the nation further. The leaders in the power shall see the need of change everywhere, but not in themselves. They, by the divine grace, will bungle everything into a mess, as they have no ability either to preclude or to prudently resolve the problems. They are as if the puppets whose strings are in the hands of situation. At the end, they will also find a scapegoat to blame for their failure and stay off the front line, leaving the people wait for another angel of the God to come and change their fate. Their bad! Thus, the cycle repeats. Thus, the past reveals the future of Republic democratic Nepal ##
(Note from the Nepal Horizons Editorial Team: The views and opinion expressed in this article are that of the author and not of NHC. We request individuals with interest in Nepal to submit their views on contemporary Nepalese issues to the following e-mail address: editor@nepalhorizons.com. Pictures of contributors or images that relate to submissions are welcome)
Nepal Horizons
Since past few decades, Nepal is in desperate need of good government. Political parties that claimed majority or coalesced alliance merely ascended to the power, but failed to make a good government every time they ruled the country. Parties and power institutions, as always, are motivated only for the power.
They are least concerned for maintaining law and order situation and progress of the country. They remain untouched even though subversive activities are rampant and the impunity gains the highest possible point, pushing the lives of people to the limit of frustration. Ordinary people, professionals, and people of various social stratums think and believe that leaders are necessary to better govern the country towards sustainable and reliable peace and prosperity.
However, common people are left neglected and discarded every time a party is inducted to the government. Long- cherished sense of optimism latent in the hearts of conscious people of this country rupture out when a new government is formed. People start talking and believing that change in the government will bring about changes in their real lives as well. Soon, hopes of the people get shattered, political ambitions of the parties and leaders gain newer height.
Although the change in the government brings about the changes in the lives of some people but it is not in the living standard of the common people, but in the status of the leaders, party staunches and, outside the party circle - few sycophants only. Common people, as usual, are always marginalized.
Disillusioned, the people soon opt for new leaders and parties in the government. In this way, deteriorating political, economic, social, and cultural cycles keep on revisiting the country and the people. The leaders are incapable to resolve the problem prudently, although they keep on dispensing lip service and pretend exhibiting alacrity for the change.
Generation of desired change is beyond their ability and capacity. However, they are able and ready for rancor to prove that their self-valued stance is undisputable. But, they will never give creative, productive reasons and assumptions a chance to survive, if they are some how against their interests. Political situation in poor countries is always capricious, elusive. As usual, opportunists are the parties and leaders who always find a scapegoat to blame for their failures and conceal their inabilities when their plots prove unsuitable.
Examine major motives and activities of the political parties and their leaders for the past few decades and you will understand the nitty-gritty and under cover reality of the leaders and their teams- popularly known as parties.
Maoist insurgencies were blamed for adverse results in the country for more than a decade. More than seven times the government was changed within the period the Democracy was restored in the country in 1990 and the then King Gyanedra usurped state power in 2002. The situation did not improve each time government was changed. The deteriorating situation simply did not improve. It was because the root of the problem was always ignored. Systematic, scientific, and eclectic approaches to change the future was never adopted and implemented with honesty, as if it was something of least priority. As a result, the desired future never turned into present. The parties, the leaders, and the then king himself at the end relinquished at the hand of situation, blaming adverse circumstances for their failures. All of them blamed this or that factor for their failures. They merely slink back from the front scene for some time. Nevertheless, wretched condition of the people the leaders and parties instigated upon is irreversible. Whom the people should blame for all this? To their fate?
Inherent inability and established fault the leaders are made of with is the root cause of the problem. To improve the state affairs in the most rational, scientific, democratic, and amicable way is beyond their capability. This protrudes compounded vicissitudes to the people. Leaders and parties lack right democratic culture and wisdom to rectify the problems facing the country as a whole. The leaders in the name of the parties and mandate of the people impose the country all those possible strictures that help fortify their personal and institutional interests only. In the name of people, they will augment the progress, prosperity, and power, leaving the deprived people to take care of themselves.
Review the recent history of Nepal and tell me when did the leaders and parties in multiparty system, and the kings and the shree-shree-shrees in autocratic regime implement the policy that would bring about paradigm shifts in the lives of people? You would not find one.
It seems Nepal is predestined to bear the brunt of all sorts of political, social, and economic problems including insecurity and state of impunity. Leaders and political parties are the key players, as if planted by the divine force, to ensure the Nepalese attain the predestined fate, and not miss them.
Now Nepal is said to have entered into the new phase of political structure and power balance. Again, the new or the same leaders in newer outfits will assume the state power once again. Actions and deeds of the past players will be lashed hard, as usual, and so-called newer and up-to-date vision will be imposed only to show that they are doing something better.
Inability to address the problems facing the state and the people will continue, enervating the nation further. The leaders in the power shall see the need of change everywhere, but not in themselves. They, by the divine grace, will bungle everything into a mess, as they have no ability either to preclude or to prudently resolve the problems. They are as if the puppets whose strings are in the hands of situation. At the end, they will also find a scapegoat to blame for their failure and stay off the front line, leaving the people wait for another angel of the God to come and change their fate. Their bad! Thus, the cycle repeats. Thus, the past reveals the future of Republic democratic Nepal ##
(Note from the Nepal Horizons Editorial Team: The views and opinion expressed in this article are that of the author and not of NHC. We request individuals with interest in Nepal to submit their views on contemporary Nepalese issues to the following e-mail address: editor@nepalhorizons.com. Pictures of contributors or images that relate to submissions are welcome)
Nepal Horizons
Sunday, June 15, 2008
PEJORATIVE MEDIA IN NEPAL
By Nav Raj Pokharel
Media in Nepal are pejorative. Every media, despite its distinct unplanned, callow and biased contents, claim that they are professionals. Traditional tenets are major factors that impede their pace towards modernization.
The hackneyed trend is, however, found worldwide and particularly in the third word countries.The third world experiences problems in each and every sector, in its economic, political, and social structures. Traits of the problem are distinct in every aspect of general life, as a predilection force in almost every individual in media houses and media contents.
The persons who join media as journalists are rarely independent. Most of the time, they are prone in taking sides. The journalists with a distinct mission or cultivated inclined propensity toward a side are evidently partial in media contents they prepare. Manipulated piece of information studded meticulously with prominent news and views feature, finally, ruins the purity of the both:independence and professionalism. And, the self-esteemed professionals are contented with their media skill that unwittingly makes the contents pejorative.
Until a journalist can renounce likes and dislikes toward ideologies and isms, ours and theirs, and favoritism and nepotism, skilled and stoical the journalist may be in hiding thier pain or pleasure on the final copy, the undertaking is distinctly evident to the eyes of the astute audience and the reader.
The word 'amoral' means neither moral nor immoral. It is not being the both. It is not being to any side. It is the plane where journalists have to attend to become 'the journalist' in true sense. Few dyed-in-the-wool journalists only can attain this glorious height. Once they reach to the height, whatever assignments they undertake, it becomes professional piece of writing.Because the piece of information does not reflect sides, but reality.
If you watch the trend of Nepali media, you will find them favoring the one, or the other in different phases of political cycle. They change sides immediately based on the direction the wind starts blowing. Democracy, non-democracy, people, government are but scapegoats for them to take sides. Right and wrong does not seem to exist in their style book.
Respecting their self-explanatory reasons, why and why not something is good or bad, I differ on terming themselves as professionals every time I see them manipulating the information based on their comforts.
The way they extol or reproach the issue distinctly leaves a footprint of their artificial endeavor, which does not articulate anything substantial. As a result, it fails to inoculate media effect in the mind of people. Everything they manufacture becomes tantamount and ephemeral. A labor lost.
There are more than half a dozen television stations, and broadsheet media and still more FM stations in Kathmandu alone. They could be running the media better as prospering enterprises in terms of financial standing; however, none of them is able to show the real picture of Nepal and Nepali,yet.
It is because they are pejorative while selecting, researching, and gathering, gate keeping the information, and presenting them. Until they learn how to be disinterested with the issues, and the sides, and to select, research, gather and present the information, media in Nepal are unable to show the real image of the country and its people.
Nepal Horizons
Posted on: 2008-06-02
Media in Nepal are pejorative. Every media, despite its distinct unplanned, callow and biased contents, claim that they are professionals. Traditional tenets are major factors that impede their pace towards modernization.
The hackneyed trend is, however, found worldwide and particularly in the third word countries.The third world experiences problems in each and every sector, in its economic, political, and social structures. Traits of the problem are distinct in every aspect of general life, as a predilection force in almost every individual in media houses and media contents.
The persons who join media as journalists are rarely independent. Most of the time, they are prone in taking sides. The journalists with a distinct mission or cultivated inclined propensity toward a side are evidently partial in media contents they prepare. Manipulated piece of information studded meticulously with prominent news and views feature, finally, ruins the purity of the both:independence and professionalism. And, the self-esteemed professionals are contented with their media skill that unwittingly makes the contents pejorative.
Until a journalist can renounce likes and dislikes toward ideologies and isms, ours and theirs, and favoritism and nepotism, skilled and stoical the journalist may be in hiding thier pain or pleasure on the final copy, the undertaking is distinctly evident to the eyes of the astute audience and the reader.
The word 'amoral' means neither moral nor immoral. It is not being the both. It is not being to any side. It is the plane where journalists have to attend to become 'the journalist' in true sense. Few dyed-in-the-wool journalists only can attain this glorious height. Once they reach to the height, whatever assignments they undertake, it becomes professional piece of writing.Because the piece of information does not reflect sides, but reality.
If you watch the trend of Nepali media, you will find them favoring the one, or the other in different phases of political cycle. They change sides immediately based on the direction the wind starts blowing. Democracy, non-democracy, people, government are but scapegoats for them to take sides. Right and wrong does not seem to exist in their style book.
Respecting their self-explanatory reasons, why and why not something is good or bad, I differ on terming themselves as professionals every time I see them manipulating the information based on their comforts.
The way they extol or reproach the issue distinctly leaves a footprint of their artificial endeavor, which does not articulate anything substantial. As a result, it fails to inoculate media effect in the mind of people. Everything they manufacture becomes tantamount and ephemeral. A labor lost.
There are more than half a dozen television stations, and broadsheet media and still more FM stations in Kathmandu alone. They could be running the media better as prospering enterprises in terms of financial standing; however, none of them is able to show the real picture of Nepal and Nepali,yet.
It is because they are pejorative while selecting, researching, and gathering, gate keeping the information, and presenting them. Until they learn how to be disinterested with the issues, and the sides, and to select, research, gather and present the information, media in Nepal are unable to show the real image of the country and its people.
Nepal Horizons
Posted on: 2008-06-02
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