National 5 (Spotlight Weekly)

A Big Fight

Ignoring the larger issue of foreign investment in the media, Nepal's big media houses are fighting personal battles

By KESHAB POUDEL

Although Kantipur Publications, Nepal Samacharpatra, Himalayan Times (Nepali), Rajdhani and Space-Time Publications have many differences on editorial and ideological issues, they seem to have found a common agenda: waging war against Rabin Lama, one of the promoters of the International Media Network, a joint-venture company with Asia-Pacific Communication Association (APCA) India, and publisher of The Himalayan Times (English) and Annapurna Post.

Different newspapers : Missing priority

As the leading newspapers zero in on personal and petty issues, the larger debate over whether foreign investment should be allowed in the newspaper industry is being sidelined. While the mainline papers have failed to show the drawbacks of the infusion of foreign money in the sector, the Himalayan Times (English), for its part, has hardly made an effort to justify it.

îThe Himalayan Times' editorial and news patterns in many national issues have often come under fire. The Himalayan Times, which is selling for Rs.2 a copy, has already exposed its true face by producing news and editorials inimical to the national interest," said a media analyst.

Others take a different view. "It is easy for us to recognize who is behind the news or editorial when it appear in THT. But many newspapers owned by Nepalese publishers carry similar news as THT, but we cannot blame it on others," said another journalist.

"If foreign investment is allowed for all the countries, it is not bad. The question is whether it is just for one country or for others also?" said an analyst. " International Media Network, a joint venture with the Nepalese company also paves the way for investors from other countries to come into our media." Will the government approve such ventures to companies of the People's Republic of China, United States, Singapore and other countries?" asked the analyst. "If similar rules are applied to all, foreign investment may bring positive results."

If the news coverage over the last couple of weeks is any indication, it shows where the real battle lies. Following a long and bitter debate a year ago, war has again broken out following fresh revelations in weekly newspapers regarding the citizenship of Lama.

Two leading dailies, Kantipur and Nepal Samacharpatra along with Rajdhani, which usually ignore issues taken up by the weeklies, picked up this story. According to their reports, Lama illegally obtained Nepalese citizenship certificate. Lama denies the charges and claims he is a Nepali citizen by birth.

Waging the war against the THT (English), publisher of The Himalaya Times (Nepali) Ujjawal Sharma filed an application seeking to close down the English version, showing solidarity with Kantipur, Nepal Samacharpatra, Rajdhani and Space Times. "I have already applied to have the registration of THT (English) annulled since I have legal ownership of that paper," said Sharma.

"Our concern is that foreign investment should be transparent in the media sector and the government has to be clear about it. The government has to be clear whether the rules, regulations and policies are in favor of foreign investment in the print media. The government has to see whether THT operation is within the parameters of those rules," says Yuba Raj Ghimire, editor of The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur, largest circulated English and Nepali dailies. ěIn the last 12 years, the Nepalese media are more effective in raising their own voices. They have not reached the stage where they can compete with the foreign media, to that extent they need protection."

Managing editor of The Times of India Dilip Padgaonkar, is the chairman of Asia Pacific Communication Association (APCA) which is major promoter of International Media Network. Although there is no conclusive evidence to show that THT is a subsidiary of the Times of India Group, interestingly though, soon after the publication of THT, The Times of India, which supplied subsidized newspapers in Kathmandu, stopped doing so. "The Times of India's pro-establishment image has generated suspicion on the liberty it has given to its editor in the country (Nepal) for its operation," said a Nepalese journalist who knows many things about Indian media.
Other publishers suspect the intention of THT to market the newspaper at throwaway price. For over a year, the THT is selling 12 pages of content for just Rs.2. Annapurna Post, the Nepali venture of the publishers, also reduced its price to Rs.2.

"My belief is that there should neither be monopoly nor foreign investment in media. My differences also stems from this very conviction,î said Pushkar Lal Shrestha, chief editor of Nepal Samacharpatra.

THT editorial group, however, prefers to be modest. "I am not interested in conflict between or among the publishing houses, I have always been professional journalist. I intend to be so as long as I am in this profession," said Ram N. Pradhan, editor of The Himalayan Times.

Despite the editor's remarks, news against rivals continues to receive prominent place in the paper. In the December 16 issue, The Himalayan Times and Kantipur came out with news accusing each other of wrongdoing. Lama is advertising his version on his citizenship through different vernacular newspapers.

The big publishing houses who are opposing the THT should also prove that their war against foreign investment is genuine and justifiable. If the gang-up of big newspaper houses against another publishing house is not based on their assumption that they would be unable to compete with it, they should justify their argument by waging war not only against citizenship of a particular individual or investor of particular country but by bringing into the public debate the larger issue of whether or not to allow foreign investment in media.