11 June 2006

Ha.. Ha… Changing Gorkhapatra. Where is the change ?

By Harsha Man Maharjan
The Gorkhapatra, granny of Nepali print journalism always served people in power. It was true for Rana regime. No exception for Panchayat or twelve years of constitutional monary. During agitation for the restoration of democracy in 2062 and 2063, it criticized seven party alliances, movement for press freedom of Federation of Nepalese Journalist.
Its tone changed after the king returned sovereignty to people after Janaandolan 2063. Krishna K.C. who used to criticize FNJ and seven party alliance, now writes about press freedom and the need of privatizing the Gorkhapatra Sansthan. He thinks no government can run media in democracy. In his article he even informs that the Gorkhapatra Sansthan is getting nothing from the Government. Instead it is paying huge amount of money to the government.
Yet it seems GP has not changed its loyalty.
Even today it only serves the ministers not people. It is serving other GP(Girija Prasad Koirala). When will it serve the people ?

Why Less Media Coverage of Nepal Education and Book Fair 2006 ?

By Harsha Man Maharjan

Nepal Education and Book Fair has become 10 year. It is the fact that we become matured as our years raise. But it is not so for the Global Exposition and Management Services Pvt. Ltd, the organizer of the fair.
Global gave emphasis to one media house this time. It not only paid Kantipur Publication for the advertisement, but also for advertorials. These advertorials appear to create the environment of the fair before the twelve days of the fair. Only The Himalayan Times got few ads from the British Council. These ads informed about the British Council’s participation in the fair.
This might have cut the Global’s budget on publicity and increases its profit. Kantipur Publication also participated in the fair. But it reduced the fair’s coverage in the other media. Anjan Shrestha of Educational Book Fair worried that only few media covered this event. He brought writers Manjushree Thapa and Narayan Wagle in the fair so that people can meet their favourite writers. This events not only attracted visitors but also got coverage on media. Hope Global will think over this issue in next exhibition.