mediaharsha

By Harsha Man Maharjan On 13 August 2010, Kantipur, Nepali broadsheet daily carried a reporting about cyber law. The reporting made public that Nepal Telecom Authority is planning to block all pornographic sites available in internet. And the authority will ask 41 ISP companies in Nepal to block these sites. The reporting says Electronic Transaction Act, 2063(2008) restricts ISP companies from operating pornographic sites but it has no provision of blocking these kinds of sites. What the reporting referred is article 47 of the act which says this: Publication of illegal materials in electronic form: (1) If any person publishes or displays any material in the electronic media including computer, internet which are prohibited to publish or display by the prevailing law or which may be contrary to the public morality or decent behavior or any types of materials which may spread hate or jealousy against anyone or which may jeopardize the harmonious relations subsisting among the peoples of...

here is my article on Film Censor baord, published in Republica last Friday By HARSHA MAN MAHARJAN The Film Censor Board was assailed by Nepali media in February and March 2010. There are two reasons for this. One, the Censor Board demanded cuts in two Nepali films, “Dasgajja” and “Dasdhunga”. It rated another cinema, “Palpalma”, as suitable for above 16. Some critics also asked for doing away with the Board. Earlier, movies like “Aago” and “Ahankar” also faced hassles from the Board. Censor boards: International scenarioCensor boards are universal entities in film industries. They certify cinema after viewing them. The process varies in countries. Some call it censor board, others certification board. Whatever, it is a mechanism of suppressing expression. In the US and UK, film industries have established this mechanism to dodge state interference. In India and Nepal, the state has established it. The boards work as moral police to safeguard the interests of the states.In Britain, the...

I hope that media can be important tools for media literacy. But there is a problem. These media give less priority on issues of media. No doubt their interest is on press freedom. But they show interest in publishing praises. They give space if we write articles with the title like fourth estate. But when we criticize them, they would rather kill the article than to publish it. It shows they are intolerable to criticism. These days CK Lal, an intellect is writing column on media in Nepali Times. This is good. Till today he has written column on Indra Lohani, TV journalism, government-owned media etc. I would be happy when Nepali Times shows courage to publish critical comments about oneself.