Accountability, nation and society: the role of media in remaking Nepal

"This briefing is written principally for the international community that wants to understand the current reality of governance in Nepal and the role of media in it."

This BBC Media Action policy briefing describes the role of media in 21st century Nepal. "Some 74% of Nepalis report that the media helps to hold government to account....Despite these achievements, this briefing asks some searching questions. Is media holding power-holders to account in the way a democratic nation might expect and does it have the freedom to do so? Is media providing the foundation for an informed citizenry capable of sustaining and strengthening the fragile democracy so many Nepalis have sacrificed so much to build? Is the media uniting society, properly reflecting the diversity and grievances of people across the country, while providing the channels of dialogue that can enable individuals to understand each other? Or is media a driver of conflict?"

The briefing begins with a political history that includes the transition, from 2006-2008, from monarchy to democracy and describes natural disasters in this earthquake prone region and cultural diversity of 120 ethnicities and more than 100 languages and dialects. The passing of a constitution in 2015 was the result of "protracted, difficult and increasingly bitter..." dialogue and negotiation; however, it "guarantee[s] freedom of expression and, despite the continued challenges inherent in protecting media freedom, the country is recognised for having one of the most open media systems in the region." 

As stated in the briefing, media's role was not described with consensus among interviewees. It is reported to be ranked by Freedom House as  130 out of 168 on the 2015 Transparency International Corruption perception index. "[A] growing politicisation and co-option of media, both at national and local levels, and a climate of declining freedom of expression..." are responsible for the ranking and public opinion. Journalists themselves recognise self interest in the media, as well as frustration with impunity in the courts. Self-interest is linked to media survival, resulting in much "brown envelope" journalism - payment offered by business and private interests. Lack of professional capacity and capacitation opportunities plays a role as well.

Stablisation of the economy and the rule of law are hopes that may influence media, as well as competition from social media, which brings in more voices. People surveyed indicated that media is trusted, second to friends and family and well above the government, military, or religious leaders. (See page 11 of the briefing for data.) 

The open licensing regime for local radio has resulted in "around 450 functioning local community and commercial FM radio stations in the country, covering more than 90% of the population....The achievements of the community media movement have been considerable. 'Eight or nine years ago, community radio played a very big role in keeping communities and society together...'" However, market pressures and local political influences are starting to erode the original mission of these local community stations because their business is no different from commercial stations. Raghu Mainali and the Community Radio Support Centre have "developed a community radio performance system, recognised by UNESCO, against which his organisation can test the character of a radio station." As mobile phone use increases, people are listening to more mainstream radio on their phones, so that community radio is losing some listenership. Consolidation is suggested by some as a solution, but regulation, now at the provincial rather than national level, needs to be monitored.

On the role of media in future nation building, "interviewees disagree on the precise roles and responsibilities of Nepali media - in particular, the balance between legitimising long-suppressed identities and bringing together a divided nation, between elite and community power, between the centre and periphery. However, almost all of them feel that media’s role in relation to how Nepal remakes itself is likely to be critical, either for good or ill." Local radio can fuel and has fuelled ethnic tensions, while urban and mainstream media has done little to report it. "The challenge of enabling conversations across communities, rather than mainly within them, is intensified by the rapid rise of digital and social media." There is a need for media and media funding that fosters dialogue across ethnic divides. A proposed linking of national-level Radio Nepal and NTV with local community media is one proposal. Those national media and BBC Media Action might have an increased role in national and local debate platforms, amplifying the BBC Media Action work already in place.

The international donor community is characterised as fuelling problems by engaging only with elites, as well as focusing on tensions rather than supporting media to cultivate a "more common social awareness....'Donors need to move away from one-off training and capacity building and towards holistic development of media'." Another criticism is that development organisations are taking the best of Nepal's educated population to run their organsations within the country when they might be "shaping or provoking public discourse, founding news organisations or generating intellectual or spiritual insight into the challenges confronting the country..."

The conclusions state that: 

• media matters for the future of the country;  
• the international community can support preventing the erosion of media freedom and independence, through "a more coherent approach, building these issues into donors’ overarching governance analysis and support strategies, establishing clearer learning mechanisms focused on what works and what does not, and investing to build the health of the sector as a whole";
• regulatory reform is "likely to need to be supported..., but close attention is needed to help ensure that it is focused on improving the independence and quality of media, not undermining it";
• more investment in media which supports platforms for dialogue and debate, such as the country’s local FM radio network, should be made; and Radio Nepal and NTV need to be reformed to be "agile public service broadcasters".