Focus Areas

Media Mapping Analysis for FP2020

The FP2020 global partnership is an outcome of the 2012 London Summit on Family Planning, where more than 20 governments made a commitment to make affordable, lifesaving contraceptives, information, services and supplies available to 120 million women and girls in 69 of the world’s poorest countries by 2020. The movement now has over 80 commitments from governments, NGOs and other bodies.

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The importance of mapping of media need not be over emphasized in any developmental endeavors. As media and communications components are vital component of sharing and strengthening demand for sound, equitable and accountable family planning, and building a body of evidence of that have contributed well in the development process. Effective communications are critical to engage with various stakeholders and audiences, providing accurate, relevant and timely information through a range of channels about the objectives of the programme, its activities, milestones and successes, and sharing lessons learnt. National platforms and CSOs needs to be supported to deliver the media and communications plans developed in the inception phase of FP2020 with strategic support for a portfolio of creative media and communications interventions that are linked directly to key strategy focus areas. Therefore, a media mapping analysis based on media analysis toolkit was planned to carry out for the inception phase of FP2020 with an aim to help draft media plans at the implementation phase of the project.

The mapping team assessed the structure of media in Nepal, media consumption, geographical coverage and languages including the coverage of key issues. It critically examined and reviewed various policy as regards to how it is communicated to its audiences, how it has been implemented by media houses and understanding of media reporter. The team attempted to identify key issues being reported about the FP 2020 commitments by the government and how this is being reported by media. The report is based on the access of communication means throughout the country.

Access of household facilities of communication means, according to National Population and Household Census Report 2011, is as follows:

Facilities Urban Rural Total

Radio

559986

2196339

2756325

Television

634332

1342271

1976603

Cable TV

562473

485875

1048348

Computer

247370

147664

395034

Internet

126654

54092

180746

Telephone

236903

162796

399699

Mobile phone

879020

2625909

3504929

The project was facilitated Plan International which was formally completed on 11th October 2015.

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Analyzing the National Media Safety Landscape for Journalists

The safety of journalists is considered an important human rights issue in itself. Moreover, it is considered central to the realization of freedom of expression in broader context. The issue of journalists’ safety is critical to their being active agents in social and public life for the promotion of freedom of expression. If journalists cannot exercise the freedom of expression in safety, any provision that guarantees such freedom is of little value. In fact, ensuring journalists' safety is one of the significant aspects of vibrant democracy.

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s the United Nations specialized agency with a mandate to 'promote the free flow of ideas by word and image', the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has been an important player in the promotion of the safety of journalists and the fight against impunity. Over the years, it has been monitoring the safety of journalists and state of impunity, and has published reports about this on a regular basis. It has put the focus on the issue of journalists’ safety through various declarations, resolutions, reports, and activities.

This final report presents an assessment of the national media safety landscape for journalists in Nepal. The study has employed the Journalists' Safety Indicators endorsed by the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

Employing the Journalists' Safety Indicators (JSI) endorsed by the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, a study has been conducted for an assessment of the national media safety landscape for journalists in Nepal. Based on the assessment, a set of key-recommendations for each of the key indicator categories of the JSI has been presented in addition to the report.

Though there is a huge growth in terms of quantity in the media sector journalism remains professionally weak and economically insecure, and the journalists are in highly vulnerable condition in terms of physical and psychological safety. Nearly half of the journalists do not have any appointment letter/contract from their employers, and journalism profession in Nepal is characterized by low wages, irregular payments, poor working conditions, and declining credibility among the public. Journalists perceive that they are prone to be victimized by both State and non-State actors, and the prolonged political transition has further complicated their security situation.

The status of women journalists is even more complicated. They are more vulnerable than their male colleagues in terms of professional as well as psychological and physical safety. It is widely acknowledged that women journalists have been facing various problems including exclusion, glass ceiling, gender pay gap, and harassment, and they are more vulnerable than their male counterparts. They are particularly at risk from sexual harassment even within media organisations, and there is a culture of impunity around sexual harassment.

Impunity has been very serious concern of the stakeholders addressing journalists’ safety in Nepal. Some media rights activists even fear of systematic impunity. As prompt, independent and efficient investigations of crime against journalists have not been ensured, and prosecutions for violence and intimidation have not been carried out against full chain of actors in violence and threats against journalists, the faith on State agencies including the criminal and civil justice system is diminishing. Prevailing impunity in Nepal poses serious concern with regard to freedom of expression and press freedom as journalists are practising self-censorship due to impunity.

The project was facilitated by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which was formally completed on 28th July 2015.

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GEF-SGP through Media Lens

Global Environment Facility's – Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) was initiated by UNDP since 1992 in Nepal. Since then, more than 100 projects have been implemented in the area of biodiversity, climate change, land degradation and capacity building sectors to bring notable changes in livelihood of common people.

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People from different parts of the country were keenly interested to participate in this kind of public hearing and interaction programs. The production team realized that there were many issues related to biodiversity, climate change mitigation and land degradation. The program was able to find out about the improvement in livelihood of local people, income generation and positive impacts by the preservation and conservation of nature.

Based on the achievements, successes and lesson learned from the projects implemented, Development Communication Society Nepal (SODEC-Nepal) carried out production and broadcasting of the media activities which includes video documentary, project based field report, studio based TV talk shows and public hearing. All of these activities were based on diverse dynamics of the projects that are funded by SGP and implemented by different community based organizations (CBOs) and non- governmental organizations (NGOs).

The program has covered major areas of Nepal which included districts like Chitwan, Dang, Kathmandu, Kailali, Kapilbastu, Lalitpur, Makwanpur and Syangja. Different concerned people and indigenous people related to the subject were focused in the program. Participants of the program included both male and female. The program was useful in highlighting the issues such as bio-diversity, climate change mitigation and land degradation around the country. The qualitative and quantitative research was carried out during this process. The issue covered in the program is important because it highlighted the achievements of local people. Television programme production team closely consulted with SGP Nepal Office, implementing agencies and local communities i.e. beneficiaries. We tried to maximize the participation of various people in the TV programmes through vox-pops, bytes and interviews. We were careful to make the participation inclusive from gender, ethnicity and other perspective.

The project was facilitated GEF-SGP which was formally completed on 5th May 2015.

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Analyze the Existing Journalism Curricula of Nepali University

There has been significant qualitative and quantitative development of journalism studies in Nepal since its inception by Tribhuvan University on 1976. Gradually but eventually Kathmandu University and Purvanchal University followed suit, further enriching the advancement of journalism academia. However, there have been criticisms that the journalism curricula have been building a huge gap between the classroom instructions and newsroom requirements.

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The model curriculum by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2007 has detailed basics of what is required in journalism education. This project compared the journalism curricula from all three of the mentioned universities and analyzed it based on the model curriculum by UNESCO. For this research, there was extensive literature review with clearly described methodological tools. The outcome of this research has been publicized through a book publication titled “Nepali Bishwabidhyalaya haruka patrakarita Pathyakram” (Journalism curricula of Nepali universities).

The project was facilitated by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which was formally completed on 26th November 2014.

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