Is Al Jazeera America a Bit of a Damp Squib?

Rabin Man Shakya
Former Associate Editor, The Rising Nepal

When Al Jazeera America was launched on August 30,  2013, it occurred to me that the scenario of new world information order is changing fast in the age of globalization and that finally a TV channel - owned by Al Jazeera Media  Network, funded by the ruling family of Qatar - is making inroads into millions of US homes.

Well, Al Jazeera America which was launched amid much fanfare about two years ago hiring creme de la creme of American television journalism is in turmoil today,  judging by the news stories in the mainstream newspapers. Meanwhile, the crisis and turmoil in Al Jazeera America was culminated by the ouster of its powerful chief executive officer Ehab Al Shihabi recently.

The reality of American television journalism is that the polls, ratings and views, not quality, merit and excellence determine the destiny of the TV channels and TV programs.

Meanwhile, with a news story under the headline "Turmoil and Exodus Rattle Al Jazeera Network" on May 6, 2015, The New York Times reported:"Almost two years later, the ratings have not come, nor have the profits. The station has been a nonfactor in news, drawing about 30,000 viewers a night."

The New York Times story went on: "To make matters worse in the last week, a lawsuit and an exodus of top executives have brought to the surface a series of grievances that employees say reflects a deep dysfunction in management of the newsroom, undermining the network's mission."

Well, Al Jazeera America or Al Jazeera may have some weaknesses. News reports suggested that the newsroom of the Al Jazeera America was in total "disarray behind the scenes, a view echoed by almost a dozen current and former employees interviewed."

It is to be noted that during the crisis in Egypt, nearly two dozen journalists of Al Jazeera quit after claiming the network told them to provide favorable coverage to ousted Egyptian president Mohammad Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood. Likewise, former Al Jazeera journalists claim that the network had biased coverage in favour of the rebels in Syria's prolonged civil war. These are just the tip of the iceberg.

Al Jazeera America is the successor to Current TV that Qatar regime bought from Al Gore in January, 2013 for about $ 500 million. And although the channel is available in about 43 million households, it is drawing about meager 30,000 viewers a night.

According to media analysts, even though Al Jazeera America has access to the Al Jazeera's 60 global correspondents, 76 per cent of its coverage emanated from Washington DC or New York city.

Earthquake in Nepal and the Social Media

Dr Rabin Man Shakya
(A Nepali journalist in USA)

I was  both humbled as well proud to be part of a fundraising for earthquake victims in Nepal launched in Portland, USA by International Open Friendship Taekwondo Championship (IOFTC) at the initiatives of people like Diwakar Maharjan and Sita Rai of Hollywood Taekwondo School. Likewise,  my spouse Naveena Shakya and daughter Palistha Shakya  also took part at a  candle light vigil organized by Mercy Corps recently in downtown Portland in memory of quake victims in Nepal. The candle light vigil was attended by hundreds of Nepalese and Americans in Portland.

Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanoes and tornadoes etc are natural disasters which play havoc on the lives of the people and nations. Recently, the powerful earthquake in Nepal with 7.8 magnitude has claimed the lives of more than 8,200 people so far.

At a time when people in Nepal are still confronting the after-shocks, thousands of people becoming homeless and facing unimaginable agonies, the Nepalese diaspora across the world including the  Non-Resident Nepalese Association (NRNA) are sincerely striving to help the earthquake-hit people of Nepal. Equally overwhelming was the help and aid provided by the friendly nations.

Meanwhile, the Nepalese blogosphere and social media sites were abuzz with news, information, photos, YouTube and other visuals related to the devastation of the earthquake. Social media is fast changing the perspectives and lifestyles of the people across the world. So many Facebook friends and relatives in Nepal have been marked as safe giving a sigh of relief to the Nepalese living abroad. This is also a new technological innovation.

But it is also true we are not seeing a lot of original materials on social media because much of the information on these sites originate from mainstream media. However, it goes without saying that we are seeing much more live debate in the social media about the news and views published and broadcast in the mainstream media.

Just ten years ago, before the advent of social media, the mainstream media (newspapers, radio and TV channels) had the monopoly over news and information. Not any more. Today more than ever, the social media has become more ubiquitous and omnipresent than the mainstream media. As a matter of fact, the mainstream media has, somehow, been eclipsed by social media and digital journalism.

Of course, mainstream media and social media have some kind of symbiotic relationship. News organizations are in the early days of figuring out how to most effectively use social media for their news stories. Today mainstream newspapers and TV channels are profusely using the quotes from the Facebook and Twitter as the important source of information. Well,  recent experiences have demonstrated that the social media is the most effective medium in showing the world the devastating consequences of the natural catastrophe and disasters like the one in Nepal.




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Decline in Newspaper Readership

Rabin Man Shakya
Former Associate Editor, The Rising Nepal

From the soaring newsprint price dilemmas, to advertisement drop quandaries to circulation decline conundrum, the newspapers in the US, UK and other European countries are finding themselves at the crossroads of post-Internet age.

So why is newspaper readership declining in the US, UK, Canada and other European countries? Was Prof Marshall McLuhan right when he foretold in 1960s the annihilation of the printed word by the electronic media?

In the US and elsewhere young people are seen daily with smartphones everywhere. Young people all over the world are too much obsessed with the smart phones and other electronic gadgets. You can read and find not only news of all kinds but virtually anything in the smart phones. That is why very few Americans in their twenties and thirties read a newspaper.

Well, decline of newspaper readership is rightly attributed to easy availability of Internet access and growth of other electronic media like television and radio. The dramatic decline in newspaper advertisement since 2000 has added to it. Excessive use and dependence on Internet and excessive use of smart phones have triggered the free fall of the newspapers in the developed countries.

So, maybe, Andrew Kohut, director of the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press was absolutely right when he said: "Young people are reading everything but newspapers."

In case of Britain, Audit Bureau of Circulation figures show that since January 2001, the total circulation of the UK's ten major national newspapers has declined from 12.06 million copies sold on average each day 14 years ago to a daily average of 6.84 million copies sold in May last year.

And according to Pew Research Center, "While Americans enjoy reading as much as ever - 51 percent say they enjoy reading a lot, little changed over the past two decades - a declines proportion gets news or reads other material on paper on a typical day. Many readers are now shifting to digital platforms to read the papers."

Only 29 percent say they read a newspaper yesterday - with just 23 percent reading a print newspaper. Over the past decade, the percentage reading a print newspaper the previous day has fallen by 18 points (from 41% to 23%), adds Pew.

The conspicuous regions not affected by decline of newspapers are Asia and Latin America where sales of newspapers are still rising. Among the 100 bestselling newspapers in the world, 74 are published in Asia and 62 bestselling newspapers are brought out only in Japan, China and India.

Nepal is also seeing the boom of newspapers' growth, where according to government statistics, in 2003 there were were 3,741 registered newspapers of which 251 were published daily.

Bikram Sambat is an Official Calendar of Nepal, But It is Not a Nepali Calendar

Dr Rabin Man Shakya


Portland, April 13, (Nepal Oregon News): The Nepalese people living in Nepal and living across the world are welcoming the Bikram Sambat New Year 2082 with new optimism, enthusiasm and resolution.

Bikram Sambat -- which was created by emperor Bikramaditya of Ujjain, India following his victory over the Sakas in 56 BC -- is the official calendar of Nepal.  Remember: Bikram Sambat is Nepal's official calendar, but it is not the Nepali calendar. In fact, Bikram Sambat was introduced in Nepal during the period of Rana autocracy. Prior to that, Saka Sambat was the official calendar of Nepal.

Although Bikram Sambat which derives its name from  an emperor of India Bikramaditya, is an official holiday in Nepal, it is not enthusiastically celebrated by the people in Nepal like Nepal Sambat and Lhosar. However, the Nepalese people across the world celebrate the Bikram Sambat New Year as a part of maintaining Nepalese traditions and culture.

Although there are growing signs of discontent with the Bikram Sambat  as the official calendar of Nepal among some sections of Nepalese population especially among the ethnic and indigenous communities, Bikram Sambat is still used popularly for almost all practical purposes in Nepal except the cultural and ritual procedures.

Detractors of Bikram Sambat calendar claim that Bikram Sambat does not have anything related to Nepal, and it is so true. So why did the Ranas scrap the Saka Sambat and replaced it with the Bikram Sambat? Emperor Bikramaditya was a Hindu emperor. Therefore, ostensible reason for Hindu Ranas to adopt Bikram Sambat could be because it was created by a Hindu emperor.

But Saka Sambat which was officially used in Nepal prior to the Bikram Sambat is also not related to Nepal. In fact, Saka Sambat is official calendar of India today, along with the Gregorian calendar. First of all, it is very important to clarify that Bikram Sambat is not a Nepali calendar as wrongly claimed by its diehard opponents. Yes, Bikram Sambat is official calendar of Nepal, but again it is not a Nepali calendar. Gregorian Calendar (Christian Calendar) is an official calendar not only of the UK, the US, Canada, many European countries but it was an official calendar even in the non-Christian Communist Soviet Union. Gregorian calendar is an official calendar of India too, along with Saka Sambat.

It goes without saying that arguments must not be for the sake of arguments. Criticism and arguments should be healthy, logical and rational and should not be based on jingoism and chauvinism. I have never read or seen anything that describes Bikram Sambat as Nepali Sambat. Some sections of the Nepalese community is harbouring a deep ambivalence about the Bikram Sambat when they wrongly claim that we should not celebrate India-born Bikram Sambat as Nepali New Year. First of all, no body can say or claim that Bikram Sambat is a Nepali calendar. To celebrate it or not simply depends on their personal wish or freedom. We cannot and should not impose anything in a free and democratic society.

To say that we have been taught wrong history just demonstrates ignorance and lack of information and knowledge because even high school students in Nepal are aware that Bikram Sambat is not a Nepali calendar.

Anyway, it is  okay that Bikram Sambat New Year is celebrated by the Nepalese communities across the US too. In Portland, Oregon Nepal's official new year is celebrated every year by local Nepalese community organizations.

Well, I think with the passing of time,  New Years keep coming and going, and we meet new people, new experiences, new hopes, new dreams and maturity in our lives.

Press Freedom is OK in Nepal, But Working Conditions for Journalists Are Not

Rabin Man Shakya
Former Lecturer of Journalism, Peoples Campus, RR Campus, TU.

I was very much stunned, surprised and disappointed by what was written in Wikipedia's article on "Freedom of the Press" where it says: "In Nepal, Eritrea and mainland China, journalists may spend years in jail for using the "wrong" word or photo.

If it was during the few turbulent years when King Gyanendra usurped political power, the statement of Wikipedia might be true. But it does not say that.

I know it is true about Eritrea and mainland China, but absolutely false when it comes to Nepal which is a fully democratic country. This kind of blatantly false information may erode the credibility of Wikipedia.

Freedom of press is guaranteed by the Interim Constitution of Nepal. So there is no problem with the press freedom in Nepal. When it comes to freedom of press, I believe we must define a journalist and the constitutional and statutory protections that a journalist should receive. Politically, there is considerable press freedom in Nepal and journalists are free to write about whatever they want.

It is true that, although the Nepali press has enjoyed freedom in principle, the job of the journalists is still hazardous. Nepalese journalists are still vulnerable to threats, attacks and intimidation from notorious politicians, tycoons and criminal dons.

It goes without saying that no Nepalese journalists are harassed and imprisoned by the government for doing their jobs. Journalists in today's Nepal are neither persecuted nor prosecuted merely for what they write.

And yes, the threats intimidations and assaults to journalists usually come from non-state sector. So many Nepalese media people were killed in the past decade. The sad part is that the government has not been able to prevent the murders and assaults on journalists.

One of the noticeable deterrents of the Nepalese journalism is related to the working conditions. Many journalists and reporters especially working in small newspapers and private TV channels are underpaid and some are not paid at all.

There is no doubt that safety and good working conditions are important to journalists. Media industry can not flourish in a professional way in the absence safety and good working conditions.

Nepalese Women Journalists: Not Just Pretty Faces

Dr Rabin Man Shakya
Former Associate Editor, The Rising Nepal

Still when I was with The Rising Nepal (1992-2005),  a number of articles written by me on media issues were published in the Nepal's first broadsheet English daily newspaper, and one of them entitled "Women in Media: Not Just Pretty Faces" was published on March 25, 1995. Back then, the number of women journalists in the Nepalese mass media was so few that they could be counted with the ten fingers of both the hands.

Well, a lot of water has flowed under the bridge of Bagmati and therefore media scenario of Nepal is changing rapidly. The Federation of Nepalese Journalists revealed recently that out of total 9,000 Nepalese journalists, only 800 are women. Two decades ago, such precise statistics were impossible to come by.

The history of women's involvement in Nepalese journalism started in 1952 when the first women's magazine "Mahila" was published.  It is to be noted that the first Nepali women's magazine was edited by Sahana Pradhan and Kamakchha Devi.

Today more than ever, journalists in general and women journalists in particular are vulnerable to different kinds of assaults, intimidation and sexual violence. Therefore, men and women journalists should work in tandem to enhance professionalism and quality of journalism and to make it a safe and secure calling.

There is no doubt that lately women's participation in Nepalese journalism is increasing by leaps and bounds. A Sancharika Samuha (SAS) research on the "Status of Women Journalists Working in the Kathmandu Valley" in 2011 still painted a grim picture of women journalists in Nepal in terms of gender inequality, sexual abuse and sexual violence etc.

According to Sancharika Samuha's research, 54 percent of Nepalese women journalists are in print media and 37 percent in electronic media. The study's findings call into question claims made by some analysts that more women journalists are attracted to the electronic media. Out of the total number of women journalists involved in electronic media, the study found that 65 percent are in FM radio stations, 19 percent in television channels, 12 percent in regular radio broadcasting and only 4 percent in digital journalism.

Similarly, another SAS study found that 75 percent of Nepalese women journalists are associated with the private sector media establishments whereas 25 percent are involved in the government-controlled media.

The challenges facing the Nepalese women journalists are indeed formidable. For many Nepalese women journalists, the problems remain the same  just as two decades ago. The women journalists just like the male journalists are underpaid and not paid in time.They are vulnerable to sex abuse, sexual assaults and intimidation. The killing of journalist Uma Singh some years ago could just be the tip of the iceberg.

More Nepalese women journalists are visible and audible in the radio-television networks, but they do not usually occupy senior positions. Nepalese women journalists are hardly ever represented in high level official media commissions, boards or committees set up for enforcing media policies. Likewise, the widening gap between women journalists working in Kathmandu and other districts underscore the radically different trajectory of the Nepalese journalists.

It is not that the democratic governments of Nepal have ignored the aspirations of the women journalists. However, failure to accommodate women journalists in the responsible posts and to implement women friendly media policy are equally conspicuous.

The success of Dr Manju Mishra in establishing the first Masters Degree College in Mass Communication in Kathmandu is just a testimony to the fact that women do not necessarily lag behind the men in creativity, leadership and professionalism.

It is good to know that women journalists organizations, such as, Sancharika Samuha - SAS (1996) and Working Women Journalists - WWJ (2006) have been working effectively to enhance the status of the Nepalese women journalists. Given the obvious contributions of the Nepalese women journalists to the Nepalese mass media, Nepalese women journalists are definitely not just pretty faces.




*I value your opinion. Please provide your feedback by posting a comment below.
**Shakya is also State Education Director, NRNA-USA Oregon Chapter, Portland, USA.

Role of Media in Democracy

Rabin Man Shakya
Former Associate Editor, The Rising Nepal

Sometimes after orchestrating a coup d' etat against the elected Nepali Congress government in 1960, King Mahendra imposed a kind of governance known as the Panchayat system which lasted for 30 years and which was notorious for persecuting and prosecuting the journalists and for curtailing press freedom.

One of the distinctive features of the journalistic period during the Panchayat system is that while the opposition newspapers were  busy doing the 'mission journalism' playing the watchdog role,  the pro-Panchayat newspapers were playing lapdog roles at the hands of the powerful regime stalwarts.

Nepal today is a democratic country. But it was not during the Panchayat system. After the political upheaval in 20006, Nepal was morphed into a republic from kingdom. But as the nation wrestles with its gravest and longest political crises in a lingering transition for writing a constitution, the  questions arise: What is the role of media in a democracy as well as in a non-democratic dispensation?  Was the role played by the Nepalese press effective in warning the political parties  against the unnecessary dilly-dallying of the constitution writing process? It looks like the role of 'mission journalism' during the non-democratic Panchayat regime was more effective than the role the Nepalese media is playing today in a democratic setup in Nepal.

Democracy is described as a government that rules with the freely given consent and mandate of the people  and is a government of the people, for the people and by the people. Looking at the modus operandi of the Nepalese political parties and their intentional procrastination in enforcing the constitution, it seems like they lack the democratic culture and political credibility as well. That is why people are raising the questions in social media sites "Why the hell are the Nepalese politicians wasting time and not been able to deliver constitution even after eight years of monarchy's annihilation?"

As long as the Nepalese politicians do not follow the norms and values of democracy, they will never be able to establish true and genuine democracy in the country. People are already aware that  Nepal's Constituent Assembly (CA) is still ill-prepared and lacks credibility to deal with wide ranging issues for delivering the constitution to the nation. The only job of the members of the CA is to abide by the whips and orders of the political parties that they represent. The grim reality of Nepal is that the CA members have been so pre-occupied with their personal and partisan interests that national interest has taken a backseat.

So what is the role of media in Nepal's chaotic democracy? Are the Nepalese media playing constructive and supportive role in enhancing the democratic culture of the Nepalese politicians? Why are the Nepalese political parties and leaders not rising above their petty partisan interests? Why are they not getting down to the business of writing the constitution? Why have the Nepalese media been unable to grill the politicians for their political failures and to bring the politicians back to the track to write the constitution?

There is no doubt that a free and independent media is vital for a vibrant democracy. Nepal today faces a number of challenges relating to the political uncertainties and imbalances. The Nepalese media should be able to provide a clear  and trailblazing vision to the politicians and to get out of the political mess. Therefore, the role of the Nepalese media in exerting pressure on the political parties to build national consensus and bring out a constitution is very significant.

An independent and free media is a cornerstone of democracy. A free media's role can be compared as the oxygen of democracy. That is why the Nepalese media should be able to tell the people about the devastating outcomes of unnecessary lingering of writing of the constitution.

Media is a powerful tool to transform the society but the power of media should not be abused to fulfill vested interest. And at the same time, the Nepalese media should get rid of old hangover of partisan journalism and should be objective in political reportage.

Media and democracy are symbiotic to each other, they both need each other. Politicians always aspire to use the media to curry the political favors.  But the role of media becomes more relevant when the means of mass media support only the right decisions of the politicians and parties, and unequivocally flay the wrong decisions and activities of the political parties and their stalwarts.


*Shakya is also State Education Director, NRNA-USA, Oregon Chapter, Portland, USA