Media Research Apathy Should Go Away

By Chun Bahadur Gurung

IPrinted news-items of the newspaper and electronic message of broadcasting media do not supply food to the hungry, clothes to the naked and a cure to the sick. But all of them share information on food; clothing, shelter and most importantly they have super power to make concerned authorities respond. A UNESCO study found that indicators of national development such as per capita income, literacy, industrialisation and others are correlated with a well-developed media infrastructure. Therefore, development of the mass media is closely related with development process of the country.

Obvious

It is obvious that media industry in Nepal is growing up very fast after reinstatement of democracy. But are we in a position to answer a few questions relating to development and/or deterioration caused by mass media? Do we have pro-poor media system? Can we answer which model of media system can be prescribed to solve conflict, eradicating poverty and addressing issues relating to nationalities and the poor? Is it the formula ‘man-bite-dog techniques’ we need to adopt while writing and editing the news-items? Have we ever studied the effects of a bunch of dead bodies published, aired and broadcast in the media? Aren’t we media professionals, responsible to solve the present crisis of the country? Unfortunately, neither have we assessed nor appraised media performance and its’ impact to serve the society better.Today, the audience and media critic, have been raising questions to the media practitioners about journalism practice we have been employing. Is journalism really only a ‘mission to report the reality’? Don’t we pre-envisage impact after publication of news items, particularly sensational photos, bunch of dead bodies and others? These are a few but very important questions that require proper answers.

The government particularly, the Ministry of Information and Communication must have a clear vision and will to act to how the mass media could be employed in the development process in the country. Further, the political instability has also been fueling the governments’ apathy towards this.
But how will all these questions be solved? The answer is research in mass communication and importantly in the mass media so that media researchers can have a diagnosis-chart and will be able to prescribe the correct curative therapy. What we have been practicing is healing patients without having proper diagnosis. Consequently, we have failed to achieve the set objectives. In the media sphere, the research is one of the very least prioritised subjects. Very few institutions like Media Service International have been initiating media research as requested by some other organisations.
There is very high potentiality to employ mass media in the development process of the country. But the media are suffering from the disease that is yet to be diagnosed. Additionally, most of the strong aspects of the mass media are yet to be identified. It seems the government has failed to understand media research as a movement, a voyage of discovery.

Very few media from private sector have been concentrating their research endeavor only on sales, circulation and content analysis that relates to short-term profitability. The media houses which have already reached a break-even point, must pay attention towards media research.

We must not forget that in 1960s newspapers and magazines were competing with television as well as radio for audience attention and advertiser investment. This situation greatly spurred the growth of private sector research. The Bureau of Advertising of the American Newspaper Publishers Association (subsequently called the Newspaper Advertising Bureau) began to conduct media research on all aspects of the press and its’ audience.

Likewise, we have also seen the practice employed by the developed countries. In 1970 an institution called News Research Center reported research results to editors after completing their research projects. In 1976 the Newspaper Readership Project was instituted to study the problems of declining circulation and sagging readership that found most editors had accepted research as a necessary tool of the trade. But have we in Nepal ever thought to do so?

Most newspapers with a circulation of at least 1,00,000 now have their own in-house research department in the US and other countries. The expansion of group owned newspapers, about 75 per cent of American daily newspapers in 1994, has also increased the trend toward research because many small papers can call upon their corporate research staffs for aid. Even what we see is, some individually owned newspapers also have added media researcher to their staff. The Vancouver, Washington, Columbia (circulation 48000) for instance, had hired research managers as did the Rochester, Post Bulletin (circulation 39000). Today experts estimate that the newspaper industry spent about $30-$40 million on research in 1992, that is a substantial increase since 1990.
PowerTo sum up, unquestionably, media has the power and we all must employ its strength in the development process of the country. There aren a number of aspects of mass media to identify and utilise. But we have not yet understood as to how it could be done. If the communication policy does not address and recognise this feature of mass media, then the private sector must act.

A Counsel For Ecological Balance

By P. Gopakumar

IHuman beings have forgotten that a particular natural condition on earth enabled life to come into existence and evolve to this human level. Humanity is disturbing this natural condition on which his existence along with the existence of all other forms of life depends.

Justice

This is like the action of a woodcutter cutting a tree at the trunk, on the branch on which he is sitting. According to our scriptures, ‘dharanath dharma ucyate’ that which sustains all species of life and helps to maintain harmonial relationship among them is justice – and that which disturbs such ecology is injustice.

Spirituality and sustainability go hand in hand. Living in sustainable manner helps in spiritual growth. Last year, representatives of more than a hundred countries congregated in Johannesburg, South Africa, to discuss and perhaps come to an agreement on how to create sustainable living on planet earth. Unfortunately, there was no discussion on the subject of spirituality and its effects on sustainability.

A truly spiritual person is one who has attained a certain state of mind, who understands that the truth lies beyond the barriers of worldliness like caste or geographical boundaries.

Truth is universal in nature and a great spiritual thought is cause for worldwide celebration. It connects us to universal consciousness, endowing us with an enlightened perspective of life.

A spiritual outlook helps in keeping our greed for materials and resources in check. Sustainable development can only take place when we use the resources for our need and not for our greed.
Also, a compassionate view of nature will prevent us from over-exploiting it. As we evolve spiritually, we begin to get tuned to things around us, including nature. We start enjoying the beauty of nature and we appreciate it. This helps us in preserving it as much as possible. Hence it is a big step towards sustainable living.

As we progress on the path of spirituality our priorities in life also change. The focus shifts towards achieving personal happiness through mental peace rather than through satiation of material desires.
By cultivating a sense of detachment, we tend to become less interested in a materialistic life and this marks the beginning of sustainable development since we learn to reduce our needs. In the recent past Mahatma Gandhi and Albert Einstein have shown that with very few needs and by living very simply, they could produce the highest quality of thought.

Technology helps us do things more efficiently – our needs are satisfied with less materials and energy and sooner. This helps in conservation of resources and in sustainable development. Worldwide, technological advances have often helped reduce water and materials consumption in production of steel, aluminum and other products, and now there are also automobiles, which are able to go longer distances with less fuel. Eventually, we might successfully emulate nature carrying out all processes extremely efficiently, with even fewer materials. This way, the system remains in equilibrium with the surroundings.

So sustainable development is a process in which we use recyclable materials, resources and energy in an environmentally suitable manner.

Spirituality also helps us live in harmony with each other and this enables everyone to work together for the common good. If only we work towards achieving this, in the future, we could well become a fully rural based sustainable society, driven by very advanced technologies, creating goods and services from raw materials available in the society’s geographical area. With the availability of Internet, desktop manufacturing, small renewable energy power packs and other advanced technologies, we could make multiple products from the same raw materials.

True, we human beings have changed the very tapestry of nature with our intervention, creating several problems for planet earth. Fortunately, we also have the ability to take corrective action once we get to know that we have gone too far.

Holistic

An increasing awareness around the world in the renewable energy and environmental field and now the establishment of world forum on sustainability attests to this fact. This modern holistic approach for ecological balance is reflected in the most ancient of Hindu holy texts. For example, the first Rio principle enunciates that “Human beings are at the center of sustainable development in harmony with nature”.

Women: To Be Or Not To Be

By RRS

FRAILTY, thy name is women. It is a famous line from Shakespeare’s tragic drama ‘Hamlet’.
Are women weak as said by Shakespeare? It is certainly a controversial matter. If there were feminist writers like Simon de Beavoir, Kate Millett, Julia Kristeva, Shakespeare would have to wrangle with them for calling them frail.

Modern women do not like to be called feeble. They think they are as strong as their male counterparts.

Since the ancient time, many philosophers and scholars have been writing on women. They have described women from different angles. But modern feminists decry them for adopting a patriarchal view. They say human history, language, culture and literature are biased against women. Because it is men who wrote history and made language. They lashed at Aristotle because he defines women as an incomplete creature. Feminists rebuff Freud because he claims that female sexuality is shaped by ‘penis-envy.’

Until the late 19th century, men regarded their sperm as the active seeds, which give form to the waiting ovum. Man said the ovum lacks identity till it receives the male’s impress.

Feminists latter established anti-thesis and described the ovum as daring, independent and individualistic rather than pathetic. They described the sperm as conforming and sleeplike rather than enthusiastic.

From a male perspective, it is hard to answer the question: what is woman? For man, she appears an enigma. Are they weak or strong? Powerful or powerless? Many identify women with the qualities of tenderness, lovability, cowardice, honesty and sympathy. At the same time, women are found strong, cruel and dishonest.

Going by the lives of heroic women such as Arch of John and Laxmibai there are no reasons to call women weak and timid.

At the same time, their aesthetic and erotic power has been a cause in the fall and rise of many nations and civilisations. Many rulers have bowed down before their beauty. Many poets and authors have surrendered their pens to their aesthetic qualities. Historians say that the great Chinese emperor Changez Khan became a slave before his queen. Ancient Greeks and Troys fought just for Helen. Draupati was one of the causes for Mahabharat Yuddha.

Throughout the human history, women’s sexual appeal has left societies extolling and fighting over it. They have exploited men with this appealing power. This has taken them at the pinnacles of success. And at the same time, this has brought their tragedy.

In the era of electronic and IT boom, their beauty has received more limelight. With the advent of rugged individualism and consumerism, their beauty has become a medium for businessmen to boost their business via advertisement. Now without women, there are no effective ads. Many women see this as an opportunity to uplift their career.

With the coming of the modern and post-modern era, women especially of the western parts want to prove that they are cocksure, not hensure. But as English novelist D.H. Lawrence says this cocksure attitude has brought more despair and less happiness in their life. Many cocksure women have been separated form their husbands. Their children have suffered as a result. The family has been broken. So, what do our fairer lots want—to be cocksure and uncomfortable or to be hensure and comfortable?