Alas, the media jumped to the conclusion that corrupt government officials wanted to channel the funds their way. Suddenly, the country was buzzing with news that the government was at it again, that they saw dollars flooding into the country and couldn't help themselves, not even when an earthquake had leveled half of the country. On Facebook and Twitter, people were up in arms, enraged, spewing venom at the netas and karmacharis. And why wouldn't they be? Any reasonable person reading the media's account of the circular would react the same way. We did.
Then, the international media caught on with an inevitably negative slant. An English newspaper described the circular as an "attempt to assert control over private foreign aid donations" and quoted an unnamed, "senior" United Nations official who had a less than rosy view. Within hours, this article was circulated widely in social media.
On May 1, senior Nepal Planning Commission member Swarnim Wagle posted a statement on Facebook that clarified that the circular would in fact have a small footprint and that checks and balances would be in place to prevent officials from greasing their hands. On May 2, Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat said the same.
Although the government deserves blame for not clarifying the issue sooner, the media clearly overreacted and the result is that people in and outside of Nepal have less faith in the government. That is unfortunate and very dangerous because, despite its dysfunction and our many frustrations, the government represents not only the best but the only way we can rebuild Nepal; when aid agencies that have parachuted in leave, we will only have our elected government to work with.
The riots that have broken out in the aftermath of natural disasters in the past not only reflect how desperate people can become, but also how quickly faith in public institutions can erode. In Nepal, thankfully, we have not seen rioting yet. Rather, we have seen tremendous unity in face of adversity; people are looking to the government with a mix of trust and hope.
The role of media is to keep public institutions and influential private actors accountable. In normal times, that role permits a little speculation and gun-jumping to keep officials on their toes. But, when a 7.8 magnitude earthquake brings a country to its knees, journalists must be more circumspect and support the government to meet the grave crisis before it. Like oar-men in a sinking boat, they can't simply keep rowing.
In Nepal, our journalists should continue to keep our leaders and bureaucrats in check, but they must learn to balance this duty with their responsibilities as citizens of a beleaguered country. This requires that they allow the government a moment to establish a response before defaulting to a well-worn narrative of corruption.
The authors are part of the Students for Nepal coalition. Sharma is a Doctoral Student at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Pant is a J.D. Candidate at New York University School of Law
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