| By Tshering Penjore | |
| August 29, 2010: Information is power. And democracy is about empowering people. Going by this simple logic, people must have access to information to be empowered. The bridge in between is an Act that will give legitimacy to right to information, a Constitutional provision. A debate is raging over whether Bhutan needs a Right to Information (RTI) Act. Some say it is not about when but why while others feel if not now, when. Answering to a question asked by Bhutan Times during the Meet the Press Conference Thursday, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley agreed information is a necessity. However, he said he cannot say if The RTI Act is needed in the country at this juncture of time. “Thus far, whatever information, whether it’s to the media or to any organization, the government has not withheld any information that is required by the public to know,” said Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley. “RTI is not yet a priority because the information is still available. We have got so many Bills that are urgent and needs to be enacted. The Parliament is required to enact these Bills as per the Constitution,” he said. According to Karma Gyeltshen, a civil servant, information is power and to share power is empowering the weakest sections of the society. “It is precisely because of this reason that the Right to Information has been ensured by some developed countries elsewhere,” he said. While most of the civil servants and media professionals Bhutan Times interviewed had mixed feelings about introducing RTI in the country, the managing editor of Bhutan Observer, Needup Zangpo, said that RTI is one of the central pillars of democracy. “If not now, sometime in the future, it should be introduced in the country,” he said. He added that with democracy in the country, the introduction of RTI has become “inevitable”. He pointed out that the government at this juncture does not feel the need though. Bhutan Observer editor added that information is indispensable for the functioning of a true democracy. People have to be kept informed about current affairs and broad issues whether it is political, social or economic, he said. “Free exchange of ideas and free debates are essentially desirable for the government of a democratic country.” Tenzin Rigden, the editor-in-chief of Bhutan Today and former press secretary to the Prime Minister opines that RTI as of now is not needed. “In the future, yes”, he said, adding that the present government is transparent and that any information that is required to be reached to the people is not being withheld by the government. He feels that with the change in government in the future, the need for RTI will arise. Kezang Dema, a corporate employee, is of the view that RTI is a constitutional right as enshrined in the Constitution of the Kingdom. “The prerequisite for enjoying this right is knowledge and information,” she said adding that the absence of authentic information on matters of public interest will only encourage wild rumours and speculations and avoidable allegations against individuals and institutions. However, on the contrary, Sonam Lhamo, a school teacher said that as no right can be absolute, the RTI has to have its limitations. “There will always be areas of information that should remain protected in public and national interest,” she said. Moreover, she said that this unrestricted right can have an adverse effect of an overload of demand on administration. “Information has to be properly and clearly classified by an appropriate authority,” she said. |
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Right to Information
First private Dzongkha weekly launched
At a time when the quality of Dzongkha is being questioned and discussed in every possible medium comes an opportune attempt to apprise Bhutanese of their national language.
Beginners can take a plunge into the language, starting with the alphabets illustrated in elementary pictures and interpretations.
Students can refer their Dzongkha textbook contents in a simplest elucidation. Those who need help with essays and application writing can allude to tutorials. Office-goers can stay abreast about events unfolding around them in most comprehensible Dzongkha.
In short, it is Dzongkha in its highest reader-friendly form, or so the first private Dzongkha newspaper, Druk Neytshuel, promises its readers.
As for the first issue launched and distributed free yesterday, the 24-page paper.
Apart from news updates, a well-organised section on driglam namzha, religion, economy, sports, community news and environment maintained a neat presentation on fresh topics.
The highlight was the section titled “Gup Of The Week”, an attempt to bring communities in the limelight by profiling the leaders and exposing problems prevailing in each gewog.
The free issue, which has taken on well with the readers, will come for Nu 10 starting next week.
“Compared with the Dzongkha issues of other private papers, this paper is on a different level all together,” Sangay Tenzin, a monk with the Thimphu rabdey, said. “It appears more serious than the previous ones, who, at times, give us an impression that they’re functioning just so to adhere to government policy, and not out of a genuine i
One of the Dzongkha newspaper editors said the standard of the language and the news quality was impressive for a starter. “They should maintain it,” he said.
A few, however, felt the need to standardise the spellings of names and places and objects, as it read different in different newspapers.
The weekly paper, comprising a team of five reporters and two editors – graduates from the institute of language and cultural studies and former monks – feeds on 4 pages of advertisements in Dzongkha, and also caters to English ads in its inserts.
“We started off two months ago, with an intention to emulate government’s policy of promoting and preserving the national language,” Chungdu Tshering said.
One of the Dzongkha newspaper editors said the standard of the language and the news quality was impressive for a starter. “They should maintain it,” he said.
A few, however, felt the need to standardise the spellings of names and places and objects, as it read different in different newspapers.
The weekly paper, comprising a team of five reporters and two editors – graduates from the institute of language and cultural studies and former monks – feeds on 4 pages of advertisements in Dzongkha, and also caters to English ads in its inserts.
“We started off two months ago, with an intention to emulate government’s policy of promoting and preserving the national language,” Chungdu Tshering said.
Source: Kuensel
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Students, public to learn about media
March 16, 2010: To create awareness and educate people on the media, Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MoE), has developed a curriculum framework for schools and programmes for the public.
The media literacy curriculum and teacher’s guide, which were developed in 2009 by MoIC, MoE, Royal University of Bhutan and other relevant stakeholders after several rounds of consultative meetings, will be implemented in five pilot schools this year.
Students of Khasarabchu MSS, Phuenstholing MSS, Yebilaptsa MSS, Mongar HSS and Trashigang MSS will be introduced to the new curriculum.
According to the Director of Department of Information and Media, Kinley T Wangchuk, the draft strategic curriculum framework was developed based on the best core skills and key concepts practised internationally for media literacy education.
The need for media literacy was felt due to the influx of foreign media content and rapid increase of media agencies in the country.
“At present, many people are not aware of the media, and there is a need for all relevant stakeholders to play a vital role in creating awareness of the media in Bhutan,” said Tshering Dendup, assistant media officer of DoIM.
Recognising the need to create media awareness among the public, various awareness programmes will be developed in the next few years for literate and illiterate people, youth, and special need groups, said Tshering Dendup.
He added that the media literacy programmes will enable students and public to understand the media and prepare them for life in an information-based society.
The media literacy curriculum for schools aims to prepare students to be capable and skillful consumers of and contributors to the media as responsible citizens.
According to Wangchuk Rabten, curriculum specialist of Curriculum and Professional Support Division, media literacy will instill skills to enable media audiences to access, critically analyze, evaluate and participate in producing media products for self-expression.
He said that the concept of media literacy or media literacy education is not only to help the society understand and eliminate negative impacts of media messages and images but also to appreciate the role the media play in disseminating information and making choices in healthy consumption of the media content.
The programme will also help identify various media sources, critically analyse and reflect on different media texts, understand the techniques and technologies used in the media, the way the media operate, acquire skills using the media to communicate with others, interpret the messages and values offered by the media, and select appropriate media for communicating their messages based on political, social, commercial and cultural contexts.
For the public, MoIC will develop a website which will enhance the ability of viewers and readers to make wise choice on the consumption of media products. It will enable the public to acquire essential skills of enquiry and critical analysis of media products. Audio visual programmes, literacy activities, and public message through cultural programmes, posters and banners, rallies and plays will also be staged to create awareness.
By Namgay Tshering in Bhutan Observer
Media vehicle vandalised
A van belonging to weekly newspaper, The Journalist, published from Thimphu was vandalized by unknown attackers on mid night May 12.
The van was returning office after dropping home one of the paper’s IT staffs, when it was hit at around 12.45 pm, as it passed the road above the golf course area in Thimphu, near Royal Monetary Authority (RMA) building.
Suspected to be hit by stone, vehicle’s left window at the back seat and the rear window are badly shattered, pieces of which fell inside the car. Driver and another staff in the car remain safe. They immediately informed the police for investigation.
Newspaper editor Gopilal Acharya, however, suspects a stray bullet might have hit the van though police say it is not.
Acharya is also the president of Journalists Association of Bhutan (JAB).
It is the first incident of attack on press in the country. The Journalist weekly is being published by the journalists who left Bhutan Times in mass last year alleging managerial interference into the editorial matters.
Association of Press Freedom Activist is very much concerned with the latest incident on media. The attack would not only derail the morality of the journalists, but also curtails their safety and the right to information of the Bhutanese people.
The government must investigate the incident thoroughly and punish those involved in the attack. The government must also ensure safety and security of the media persons.
I. P. Adhikari
President
Date: May 14, 2020
Media is the message
Good writing, accuracy, objectivity, analysis, sensitivity, would be some of the basic rules, among others, that make good content. At this stage, meeting these basic requirements is a struggle for the local media; but most like to believe otherwise.
As has been seen the world over, those that provide the content eventually get a grip on the competition, and make a niche for themselves; no matter how early or late they enter the market. Some thrive on catering to the lowest common denominator; while others reach out for a more sophisticated readership.
Yet, in all the debate and discussion, the Kuensel newspaper has been unfairly projected, simply because it was Bhutan’s first paper; that came into existence in 1986. In fact, the pressure to do better is much more, because of the expectations; and it’s a challenge Kuensel thrives on.
As far as the newsroom goes, Kuensel is in the same boat as most other papers. With most of the older and trained journalists having moved on to other things, or left for greener pastures, it has as many young journalists that need training, exposure and guidance.
Yet government policies have denied Kuensel from competing in open journalism scholarships, which have now been segregated to either private or corporate employees. Coverage of international events, sponsored by NGOs, is also restricted for Kuensel, because of prevailing perceptions that do not have a basis. Even for government sponsored training programmes, Kuensel is usually left out; for reasons that are beyond comprehension.
Meanwhile, Kuensel has basically served as a stamping ground for a number of journalists, who are today at the helm of new papers and earn better salaries than before. It has in fact played a key role in fostering the growth of the private media that has come up for a number of reasons, besides promoting journalism.
There is also widespread perception that Kuensel still receives subsidies. That ended 15 years ago; and, while the private papers are eligible for a five-year tax holiday, Kuensel is not.
A diversity of media is needed, but the competition should be on professional grounds. Like improving content. That way, the overall quality of print journalism in Bhutan will move up. As a public service media, Kuensel will strive to produce good content that serves Bhutanese society.
Courtesy : KuenselYet another FM station comes into operation
In an attempt to allow media flourish in the country, a private FM radio was officially launched on Aug 6.
The Economic Affairs Minister, Khandu Wangchuk, inaugurated Radio High 92.7 MHz FM on Thursday. The radio station is located at the Clock Tower Square in Thimphu.Owned by Ugyen Dorji, Radio High is the fifth station in the country.
The same name and frequency radio is very famous in the North Bengal of India and covers the districts including Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Coochbehar and parts of Sikkim to reach over three million people.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Bhutan media foundation established through royal kasho
His Majesty with representatives of the print and broadcast media at Lingkana palace
The media foundation is being established to support the development of mass media, so that it can carry out its roles and responsibilities in the interest of democracy.
According to a press release, the foundation is expected to support the media in enhancing skills through scholarships, internships and training, strengthening media executive management and leadership skills.
The foundation will support the sustainability and growth of newspapers and broadcast stations, journalists associations and press clubs. It will also invest in the future readership of the print media by striving to provide subscription grants of all newspapers to the lower, middle and higher secondary schools and colleges in the country. Additionally, it will also support the promotion of national language in the media and civic education programmes in the media.
His Majesty, in the royal charter to the representatives from both the print and electronic media present at Lingkana palace, assured his support for the development of the media industry in the country.
The foundation is endowed with a seed grant of Nu 15 mn from His Majesty the King.
Representatives of all media organizations agreed that the first meeting of all registered media agencies should take place promptly. This will be done to finalise the organisational structure, regulations, and codes of conduct of the foundation.
Rinzin Wangchuk in Kuensel
Monday, June 22, 2009
Remembering fellow refugees
It may be quite astonishing for the readers to know that this writer was forced to leave Bhutan at the age of six abandoning everything. When my family finally decided to leave Bhutan, nothing except the protection and shelter were important for us. There are fellow-countrymen, young and of growing ages, who are born in the camps and have never seen Bhutan, but are still longing to go back. Every year on June 20, all the exiled Bhutanese in eastern Nepal have been celebrating the World Refugee Day with a hope that they don't have to repeat it the next year. Sadly, despite having drastic changes in the world ranging from regional politics to top global events, the hope of getting back to Bhutan has remained unchanged for almost two decades.
Many people regard refugees and internally displaced people (IDPs) in a normal manner, without having understood the real struggle they are forced to face. In fact, refugees also have hopes and dreams like the ordinary people but no means to bring them into reality. They are always with a genuine claim for nationality, proper identity and dignity, which only a section of such people acquires. Besides, moral support and emotional safeguards to reduce their trauma are other vital elements, which the refugees are searching to live a meaningful life.
Internal conflict, ethnic cleansing, war, natural calamities and political suppression are some of the major causes to drive citizens from one nation to another for safety and protection. Whenever people leave their hometowns forcibly without knowing the actual time for return, uncertainty, depression and psychological torture become a part of life depending on the calculated diet from the international community. In such stages, education, entertainment and health become the secondary needs.
The 2008 Global Trends released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the largest refugee caring agency, shows the number of people forcibly uprooted by conflict and persecution worldwide stood at 42 million at the end of December 2008. The total includes 16 million refugees and asylum seekers, and 26 million IDPs, uprooted within their territories. According to the UNHCR's statistics, among recent displacement crises, up to 2 million people have been displaced from Pakistan alone last year mostly due to violence between the government and militant forces while about same number of refugees and IDPs were able to return home.
There are refugees who have made the refugee camps their permanent homes since they have been dwelling there for generations. A few years back hundreds of Afghan refugees, who were taken back to Afghanistan by the UN Refugee Agency, returned to refugee camps in Pakistan since the camps were more comfortable for them to stay. Younger generations, who were born and brought up in the camps, having no experience of outside a fixed periphery, could not work in Afghanistan to begin their new life while octogenarians found their fertile lands and farms converted into deserts. So, the refugee camps became a Hobson's choice for those Afghan refugees.
Not only the UNHCR, there are several other aid-organizations around the world assisting refugees and IDPs. They manage food, shelter and protection for refugees. These aid agencies are supported by the developed countries and many donor groups making direct or material supports as per the requirement. Such material and financial supports help refugees to sustain their life, something getting a new-birth from horrible livelihood. There are countries and active organizations, which have developed and practiced good mechanisms for allowing refugees to have access to all sorts of facilities and opportunities like the legal citizens. This means there are both, the worst and the best places for refugees. In some cases, fundamental changes in their home countries end the dangers that have forced them to flee and overtly forcible return remain rare. Many refugees, however, suffer insecurity, threats of refoulement, detention, and decades of enforced idleness and restrictions on movement and normal life in countries of asylum, casting doubt on whether their return is truly voluntary. Sometimes they are even arrested and physically tortured or deported to the country of origin.
When repatriation of refugees is not congenial, impossible or may take a long time, many developed countries are legally taking refugees to make them economically strong, educated and help them rebuild their lives. Millions of refugees have chosen such option and also contributed for development and other aspects, both in the resettling countries and the country of origin. Some refugees even get locally integrated in a host country when going back home becomes a distant dream.
Refugees are not creatures forced to enjoy a small world under ramshackle plastic sheds, bamboo huts or an open sky, but are people like dignified citizens of a country forced to leave their place. They have reasons to choose such a horrible part of human life, mostly meant to struggle for betterment, safety, protection, identity and honour. So, let us stand in a refugee hut for a while and think what are the needs and concerns, thanks to the UNHCR for keeping this year's theme for World Refugee Day as 'Real People, Real Needs'.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
‘Media situation not much changed’
Presenting a 20-minute paper on the theme “The status of press freedom, the media and citizens in Bhutan after democratization”, today on last day of the two-day regional conference for South Asia in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day 2009 in Kathmandu, Mishra also highlighted the plight of exiled Bhutanese journalists.
“Not much has been changed in media sector even though Bhutan says it has already stepped into democratization process”, reads the paper, adding that the existing Bhutanese media houses have not been able to give space for the suppressed voices of rural areas, and in particular of Nepali-ethnic group in Southern region of the country.
Mishra also raised the ‘identity issue’ of exiled Bhutanese journalists. Terming the existence of media inside Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal as one of the best instances, Mishra also said there is a need for the similar existence of media bodies inside refugee camps around the world to highlight their plight.
The conference, organized jointly by the Federation of Nepali Journalists and UNESCO, also made a declaration on media freedom in South Asia, which demanded that state authorities in the countries of the participants of the conference explicitly denounce the acts of lawlessness against the media and institute appropriate sanctions against those responsible.
“We call upon the enforcement authorities in our countries to bring to justice those responsible for acts of violence against journalists and media organizations”, reads the declaration, adding- “We pledge our commitment to working together as a cohesive network to support each other in our common aspiration to improve and assert press freedom and the rights of journalists in the South Asia region.”
Senior journalists and media freedom activists from South Asian countries including Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri-Lanka, Maldives and Afghanistan attended the seminar.
Govt hope for refugees
KATHMANDU, March 31 - Minister for Information and Communications Krishna Bahadur Mahara said on Tuesday that the Nepal government will take fresh initiatives to return Bhutanese refugees to their homeland.
“The government has not taken strong enough initiatives for the return of refugees to their homeland,” said Mahara at a book-launch in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
Exiled Bhutanese leader Tek Nath Rijal expressed concern over Nepal government's apathy toward the plight of Bhutanese refugees. “Refugees are being settled in third countries, but Nepal government has not taken any recent initiative for refugees seeking to go back to Bhutan,” said Rijal. According to him, third country resettlement and repatriation should go side by side.
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Minister Mahara and Rijal jointly launched ‘Becoming a Journalist in Exile’, a book edited by T.P. Mishra, a Bhutanese journalist in Nepal. Commenting on the book, journalist Dhrubahari Adhikary lauded Mishra’s effort. The book talks about the situation of journalism under the autocratic Bhutanese regime, and the struggle of exiled Bhutanese journalists in Nepal.
There are more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees languishing in seven UNHCHR-run refugee camps in Morang and Jhapa districts. Some western countries including the USA, Canada and Australia are resettling Bhutanese refugees.
Posted on: 2009-03-31 20:04:44 (Server Time)
Mahara assures recognition of Bhutanese refugee journalists
Source: Nepal News
Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara has given commitments to work in his capacity to provide ‘journalist identification’ to Bhutanese refugee journalists who have been publishing newspapers and running radio programme from within the Bhutanese refugee camps in eastern Nepal.
Speaking at a function in the capital Tuesday to release the first book on Bhutanese media ‘Becoming a Journalist in Exile’ written by T. P. Mishra, a Bhutanese refugee journalist, Mahara said government is ready to extend all possible support to refugee journalists despite legal hurdles.
Admitting that the coalition government has not been able to function as per the commitments made, Mahara reiterated government’s stand for rightful repatriation of Bhutanese refugees languishing in Nepal since last 19 years.
Speaking at the same programme, Bhutanese human rights leader Tek Nath Rizal urged the Nepalese government to facilitate solution of the Bhutanese refugee crisis by initiating three steps – repatriation, assimilation and resettlement – together.
Commenting on the book, senior journalists Dhruva Hari Adhikari, Hem Bahadur Bista, Yuvaraj Ghimire, Kishor Pradhan and human rights activist Subodh Pyakurel said the book contains insightful details about the current situation of media in Bhutan, in the Bhutanese refugee community and general thesis on theory and practice on journalism.
March 31, 2009
First book on Bhutanese media released
Kathmandu: Nepalese Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara has assured to provide recognition to Bhutanese journalists in exile who have been publishing newspapers, running radio programme and online.
Addressing a function to release the first book on Bhutanese media ‘Becoming a journalist in exile’ written by T. P. Mishra, editor of Bhutan News Service and APFAnews.com, in Kathmandu Today, Nepalese minister Mahara said government is ready to extend all possible support to refugee journalists despite legal hurdles.
He reiterated Nepalese government’s stand for rightful repatriation of exile Bhutanese though the option for resettlement has been opened without ensuring their repatriation.
Senior journalist of Nepal Dhruva Hari Adhikari in his book review said it has all those components needed for a cob and a senior journalist, besides explaining the current media situation in Bhutan and hurdles the Bhutanese journalists in exile have been facing.
Human rights leader Tek Nath Rizal, congratulating Mishra for such weighty publication, urged the Nepalese government to take initiation for ensuring that three options – repatriation, assimilation and resettlement – go together. He also criticised Nepal government for approving the credentials of Bhutanese envoys such as Nado Rinchen, Dago Tshering and V Namgyal who were directly involved in evicting ethnic Nepalis from southern Bhutan.
Another senior journalist Yubaraj Ghimire appreciated the initiation taken by Mishra to inform the world about continuing worse situation of media freedom in Bhutan.
Chairman of Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) Subodh Pyakurel drew attention of the Nepalese government to look into problems being faced by Bhutanese journalists.
Hem Bahadur Bista, executive director of Nepal FM radio, where Mishra had worked in the past, and country representative of the PANOS South Asia Kishor Pradhan expressed their readiness to help promote media among Bhutanese refugee community.
The book was release simultaneously in Nepal and worldwide through internet today. The readers from across the globe can order the book through payment of US$25 through Pay Pal from the link at APFAnews.com. The revenue generated from the book will go for support of the Bhutanese media in exile. Bhutan News Service
Spotlight on: Media Helping Media
When lack of time and money began preventing senior British editor David Brewer from accomplishing everything he wanted with his media development projects around the world, he turned to a place where time and space don’t exist.
“It’s about cost, capacity and accessibility,” he said via e-mail. “It was clear that there was a need for training resources to be made available, free-of-charge, written to address the client’s training need. It was also a matter of helping them train their own staff.”
Media Helping Media, a 7-year-old website full of resources for developing media outlets, began as a basic forum. Today it is a rich hub of resources geared to aid media in post-conflict areas.
Four deep sections of static modules are available: media management, editorial ethics, journalism training and investigative reporting. The site also hosts issues-themed articles from around the world. It also boasts a new forum section.
Everything is published is under a Creative Commons 3.0 license, so content on the site may be redistributed with attribution for noncommercial use.
Brewer pays for it all out of his own pocket.
There are 22 modules in the section on journalism training, making it the biggest category. These chapters include information about creating journalistic content with words, sounds or images.
Many of the modules were created upon request. Brewer said he writes most of the modules while travelling, often in airports or on planes.
“Recently, a journalist from the border tribal region in Pakistan wrote asking whether there were any training modules about interviewing politicians … so I decided to write a module entitled ‘Interviewing Politicians for TV and Radio’,” he said. “A few weeks ago another journalist from Africa asked for a module about how an online news story should develop, so I wrote ‘Updating an Online News Item’. Others are contributed by colleagues, such as the piece about the public interest, entitled ‘The highest purpose in journalism’.”
Brewer got his start in newspapers before moving over to radio. He worked seven years with Radio Merseyside in Liverpool before continuing on to the BBC for another radio gig. He served nine years as political editor for BBC Regional Political Unit. In 1997, he was selected to launch BBC News Online. He launched CNN.com Europe, Middle East and Africa in 2000.
It’s possible to follow him on Twitter.
In 2002 Brewer started Media Ideas International, a business under which he does consulting work and runs Media Helping Media. He operates the site by himself on the free, open-source software Joomla.
One of his proudest Media Helping Media moments came when he was solicited to help write a chapter for a handbook for journalists in exile. TP Mishra, a local journalist who had been using Brewer’s training resources for three years in his work in the Bhutanese refugee camps in Nepal, approached the Briton for help. Brewer helped Mishra with the training necessary to write the book.
“TP is the editor of The Bhutan Reporter and says that MHM was the inspiration for him to achieve what he has achieved,” Brewer said over e-mail. “I also enjoy writing training modules that are well received and which I then find out are being used as the foundation modules for in-country training courses run by local journalists for local journalists. That is extremely satisfying.”
There are several challenges Media Helping Media seeks to help news outlets meet:
Reaching financial sustainability en route to editorial independence
Setting out a compelling content proposition (digging where others don’t) to informs the public debate via issue-led journalism
Introducing editorial values of balance, impartiality and objectivity
Creating converged, multiplatform news offerings that deliver content to whatever devices the audience may wish to turn to in order to access information
Identifying the audience, both the current audience, the target audience and the potential audience
Building a sales and marketing strategy that matches the content proposition, the target audience and the market.
Building capacity, to train their own staff and take on to train others in the region.
Published: March 26, 2009
Handbook for exiled journalists now available
The author is a Bhutanese refugee who has been working as a journalist in the refugee camps for several years.
T.P. Mishra, the editor of the Bhutan News Service , said the book was part of an effort to equip those who previously had no voice with the essential tools needed in order to ensure that their situation was made known to the wider world.
T.P Mishra presented the book entitled ‘Becoming A Journalist In Exile’ to Nepalese Minister for Information and Communication, Krishna Bahadur Mahara at a ceremony in Kathmandu.
Mahara congratulated Mishra on the publication and said the Nepalese government was now ready to extend all possible support to refugee journalists, despite a number of legal hurdles yet to be surmounted.
Nepalese journalist, Dhruva Hari Adhikari reviewed the book saying that it has all those components needed to help all journalists, from those starting off in the profession to senior journalists.
He said it also set out the current media situation in Bhutan and listed the problems that Bhutanese journalists in exile have been facing.
Human rights leader Tek Nath Rizal congratulated Mishra for producing the book and highlighting the situation faced by Bhutanese refugees.
This site provided support for the production of the book and submitted content for one of the chapters.
The book was release simultaneously in Nepal and worldwide through internet today.
The book can be ordered through Pay Pal from a link at the APFA website . It costs US$25 and, according to T.P. Mishra, the revenue generated will go towards continued support for the Bhutanese media in exile.
Handbook for exiled journalists produced
A handbook, written to help train journalists working in exile, has been produced in Nepal. The author is a Bhutanese refugee who has been working as a journalist in the refugee camps for several years.
T.P. Mishra, the editor of the Bhutan News Service , said the Becoming A Journalist In Exile was part of an effort to equip those who previously had no voice with the essential tools needed in order to ensure that their situation was made known to the wider world.
To read the full press release written by David Brewer, one of the book's co-authors, click here.
9 April 2009
Handbook aims to help journalists in exile
Journalists who have been forced out of their countries or are in voluntary exile may find useful tips in a handbook written by a Bhutanese refugee who has been working as a journalist in refugee camps.
According to author T.P. Mishra, former editor of the Bhutan News Service who is now working in Nepal, the book is part of an effort to equip those who previously had no voice with the essential tools needed in order to ensure that their situations are made known to the wider world.
The book, entitled Becoming A Journalist In Exile, was released simultaneously in Nepal and worldwide through the Internet on March 31.
The book can be ordered through the APFA Web site. Learn more here.
‘Too early to say Bhutan has press freedom’
In his presentation made at the regional conference in Kathmandu organized jointly by Panos South Asia, UNESCO and Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) marking the international press freedom day, reporter or Bhutan Observer Nedrup Zangpo also outlined the difficulties Bhutanese media have been facing for sustenance.
Lack of advertisement, low rate of circulation and lack of adequate media professionals are some of the hurdles he pointed out of the Bhutanese media. He said, the government promoted its mouthpiece Kuensel as daily paper recently and most advertisement from the government are given only to Kuensel. The private companies rarely come up for advertisement, leading to collateral hindrances for sustainability to budding media industry of this youngest democracy.
In his presentation entitled ‘A scenario of media law in Bhutan’, he further said all journalists working with Bhutanese media inside the country have very little or no information about professional journalism and its ethics.
Zangpo also said the politicians and bureaucracy have not changed their behavior with media though political system has changed which he cited as lack of knowledge on them regarding the importance of media for national development. He said they have been questioned ‘why’, whenever journalists write opinion pieces in newspapers. “Bureaucrats are not used to in accepting critical stories,” he said.
He criticized the code conduct prepared by the government, saying it has been imposed without consent of the journalists. The code was prepared by the previous non-democratic government and has not been reviewed since then.
However, Zongpo mention that with the change in politics and emergence of Bhutan Observer and Bhutan Times, two dailies, Bhutanese media have been doing good on their part despite hurdles and challenges.
Zangpo quoted politicians during the recent discussion between media and parliamentarians in the initiative of Center for Media and Democracy, saying “We need happy stories as we say Gross National Happiness”.
Two papers of Bhutanese media are scheduled to be presented at the conference from Bhutan by T. P. Mishra (editor) and Vidhyapati Mishra (manager) of Bhutan News Service and APFAnews.com.
Journalists decorated with awards
Thimphu, May 05, 2009: Despite indirect censorship on media, the elected government for the first time arranged for media awards to various journalists as gesture to inspire for better journalism on Sunday.
Kuensel’s reporter Phuntsho Choden won award for best investigative reporting award. Though the budding media industry and journalism beginners are yet to get better at reporting beat and soft news, it is unclear on what basis the government categorized reports as investigative reporting.
Choden’s reporting on the short supply and poor quality of school textbooks was termed the best investigative reporting.
Kuensel won three more awards: The Dark Side of Night Hunting, a feature by Tashi Dema, recognized as the most prominent social issue and Tenzin Dorji was given the best photographer.
For opinion pieces, all three papers (since Bhutan today daily was not included in the contest) were awarded. Kuensel’s deputy editor Kencho Wangdi’s Making Our Religion Relevant, Bhutan Times’ sub-editor Mitra Raj’s First Breach, and Bhutan Observer’s reporter Needrup Zangpo’s Demolish the Wall.
Observer’s Dzongkha editorial team won the best Dzongkha edition of the year beside its cartoonist Chimmi R Namgyel receiving best newspaper cartoon award for Zero Tolerance.
Bhutan Times got three more awards, including the Best Newspaper design. Its editor Gopilal Acharya was awarded for best business report for his article, Heartbreak House. Karma Singye Dorji from the same paper, who happened to be one of the three judges, received best political report for his article One Year of Democracy.
Radio Valley (RV)’s Suja Show, by Ugyen Wangmo, was declared the most entertaining program while Mang Ghi Damkha or Music on Demand’s Pema Wangchuk was the best radio host of the year.
Two other radio stations, Centennial Radio and Kuzoo FM knocked out of the scene.
Government owned Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) took three: Dawa as the best TV anchor and Damcho Wangchuk as most informative radio program for his coverage of the police-youth partnership program. And Neten Dorjee’s documentary on King Jigme Wangchuck was awarded the best television program of the year.
Temzing Lamsang, who was more critical of the government policies and corruptions in public offices, was given not a single award despite his few well written articles.
Two other judges were secretary of the ministry of information and communications and former Kuensel editor Kinley Dorji Kay Kirby Dorji, a former journalist with Los Angeles Times.
ABU holds its congress in Paro
Paro, May 06, 2009: The eleventh congress of the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) concluded here in Paro on Tuesday. The congress is held every two years.
The congress discussed the technical, economical and other kinds of constraints and challenges faced by the broadcasting companies across the world and measures to be taken to ease the situation.
Future strategies and union’s finance management, including sponsors for its activities, were also primary agenda of the congress.
Established 1964, the union has 194 members from 57 countries including Iran, Korea, Malaysia, Macau, Mongolia, Japan and Indonesia. Bhutan Broadcasting Service Corporation is one of the union members.
Official media liaison for Bhutan's royal family launched
The Royal Office for Media (ROM) -- near the Chorten memorial here -- will research, collect and archive media materials and publications on monarchy and the royal family.
"It will facilitate works of media persons by providing quick and accurate information for mass dissemination," Dorji Wangchuk. ROM's newly appointed director, said.
Photographs for private events will be taken by the royal photographers and a few photographers will be nominated by media houses for certain functions. They will be called the royal press group. The ROM will decide on the final publication of the photographs.
Media agencies and accredited journalists are required to register with the agency concerned to cover the event. And all media personnel are required to maintain a formal dress code.