By Harsha Man Maharjan
These days I am in London under a project between Martin Chautari and SOAS. This visit gave me an opportunity to think about the post conflict situation of Nepali media. This short article is my understanding of the situation:
Post conflict is a transitional phase where both old and new forces tried to exert their influences and it is the period where a society involves in debates, discussions on various issues. Many people believe that Nepal is going through this phase. Academicians are writing on different aspects of the post conflict situation from security to tourism. But very few articles and papers have discussed about Nepali media in Post Conflict situation.
Only article, I encountered was from the discipline of Public Administration. In 2008 a faculty from Public Administration Campus, Kathmandu had written this paper with the title, Media Situation in Post Conflict Nepal: An analysis. But this paper’s concern is narrow. It deals the post conflict situation through the angle of the safety of journalists. This is a journalistic perspective to see the Post Conflict Nepali media.
I think that we have to see the situation of Post Conflict in Nepali media beyond this perspective. One way to see this is inclusiveness of media. Nepali media are becoming more and more inclusive. It is a plus point that Government press media, Gorkhapatra started to publish specials page on different languages of ethnic groups and communities called Naya Nepal.
Second way is the mainstreaming of labour issues inside Nepali media. Only after 2006, this issue got space in Nepali media. Earlier journalists and media owners paid no attention to it.
Third is the diversity of media. In 2006, we saw the rise of Maoist media. There is growth in Maoist magazines. About 60 titles of these magazines were published in the post conflict. I think these media have helped in making Nepali media more diverse.
The fourth is some NGOs are working on media for peace building. They are preparing radio contents for this.
