By Ankit Thapa
There is no doubt that technology has contributed enormously to the development of the media. This author remembers a time when it was difficult to establish even a local connection, let alone communicate internationally with people in small towns in other countries.
In Nepal, it was virtually impossible to stay in touch with family members and friends living in villages. Getting a telephone connection was an extremely difficult task. Most people returned empty-handed after applying for a connection and had to wait for years to get a simple landline telephone.
But this entire scenario has changed dramatically with the development of technology. Today, connecting with people visually from almost any part of the world is literally at our fingertips. Virtually everyone has access to a mobile phone and can communicate instantly.
While we will discuss the broader implications of this development later, it is also important to examine the misuse of the same technology that has brought people around the world closer together. Ironically, some of those who repeatedly shout about press freedom are also involved in promoting propaganda and misinformation in different parts of the world, sometimes with the aim of creating disturbances in the interests of their own governments or the agencies that support them.
In Nepal, too, many so-called “professional journalists” are allegedly being used for various purposes by foreign-funded agencies. There are also powerful diplomatic missions, as well as smaller ones, that seek to influence the media and promote their own narratives. Some media professionals and so-called mainstream media houses simply follow their instructions to please their masters, who provide them with various benefits.
Although corrupt media houses, foreign agencies, their local agents, and corrupt journalists may have reaped benefits from such arrangements, this author still believes that no government has the right to arrest journalists merely because of their affiliations or because they publish material critical of the government or certain individuals.
For example, at the time of writing this piece, a well-known journalist is in police custody over material published in his newspaper concerning a politician. This author agrees that everyone has the right to privacy in his or her personal life. However, a journalist also has the right to publish information concerning such matters if it has been obtained from a reliable source and is deemed to be in the public interest. The editor may be questioned about why such an article was published, but that does not automatically justify placing him or her in custody.
This is precisely what has happened in the case of Kishor Shrestha, who was arrested despite running one of the country’s most popular weekly newspapers. Naturally, editor Shrestha has made many enemies because of the reports published in his newspaper. We also know that he is closed to a political party, but that does not give the government the right to arrest a journalist while claiming to uphold press freedom.
It is particularly ironic that this same person once served as chairman of the Nepal Press Council and a sitting vice president of the International Press Council, which is supposed to oversee professional standards and the conduct of the press across the country. This raises an important question: How was he appointed to such important positions if he was considered so unethical? If he is ultimately found guilty of serious wrongdoing, those who appointed him should also be held accountable. Why was such a person chosen for such an important position in the first place?
As already mentioned, journalists should not be placed in custody simply because something has been published in their newspapers. Unless a person has committed an actual offence or acted against national interests, national unity, or communal harmony, such an arrest would be unfair in a country that claims to uphold freedom of the press and freedom of speech.
In this context, the arrest of editor Shrestha appears unjustified. We would have nothing to say if he had committed a genuine criminal offence. But if he was arrested on a trivial charge simply because the present government dislikes him or his newspaper’s reporting, it would amount to political vengeance.
There are many people who dislike the present government, despite the fact that Prime Minister Balen Shah is attempting to implement various initiatives for the country. In particular, cadres and supporters of the older opposition parties have strongly opposed PM Shah and some of the long-term plans he has unveiled. This appears to be a misguided approach by parties that suffered a humiliating defeat in the election held only a few months ago.
We know that our political parties are often shallow in their thinking, while many of their leaders have even narrower mindsets when it comes to taking the nation forward. Just look at the way they squabble among themselves—not for the good of the nation, but primarily for their own political and personal interests.
Taking the argument in a completely different direction, many neutral observers have by now realized that the so-called free Western media are also often influenced by the interests of their respective countries. Some have been accused of promoting narratives intended to create disruption and division in countries they oppose. Nepal, too, has experienced such external pressure, particularly during the period when foreign powers opposed the country’s traditional monarchical system and supported efforts to bring about its abolition.
As we mentioned right at the beginning, both foreign powers and political parties have used—or, rather, misused—the media to accomplish their respective objectives. Some media professionals have also willingly accepted the small gains they receive from foreign organizations, diplomatic missions, and their local agents.
This system must be stopped if Nepal is to safeguard its independence, national unity, and communal harmony. Those who constantly preach about press freedom must also be prepared to practice what they preach.
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