Are all printed media shrinking to the path of extinction? Far from it. They are not on any flight to oblivion, but many, if not most, will be diminished as readers migrate to new and alternative information pastures—those of news and other content. Audiences engage in such changes not collectively but individually. They are not organized in the shift; it is their individual interests that coincide with those of many others. Advertisers have too many outlets seeking a slice of the revenue pie, which does not keep pace with the increase in advertising avenues opened up to marketers in the digital era.
Social media in the 2020s has contributed to the surge in public engagement in terms of interactions made and opinions created. But it is also involved in content polarization and deliberate denigration of, and propaganda against, individuals and institutions, which has raised concerns in social, economic, and political sectors, among others.
How come our prioritization of world issues aligns with the gatekeeping of the global mainstream news media? Or is it that our perspective matches the West's? Or do we give the audience what it wants? Anglo-Saxon media narratives will have to be reviewed thoroughly to better understand the facts and global issues. Proactive competition might not always be affordable, but understanding the issues is essential. The greatly expanded opportunities to acquire information in the digital age could be fertile grounds for predators of the misinforming tribe targeting their vulnerable prey.
Content Scope
A study conducted by P. Kharel in 2010 covered 25 newspapers—12 dailies and 13 weeklies, in Nepali and English—all graded as "A" category by Press Council Nepal. The papers selected for analysis represented about 12 percent of Nepal's total dailies, while the weeklies accounted for three percent of the country's total weekly news publications. Covering a month-long period, the research made some interesting revelations. Politics constitutes the dominant theme of Nepali news media. "Most papers are known for the party or group backing them rather than the quality of journalism or the political independence they maintain. This means that a reader must get hold of more than one version of a reported event by going through several papers before concluding what [might have] actually happened."
The leading papers are Kathmandu Valley-centric in terms of datelines, front-page main news, information sources, use of photographs, and bylines. The related analysis showed: "Media deluge the public with political news items that are drab and sketchy, barely scratching the surface and rarely going beneath and beyond the obvious." Political news constitutes more than two-thirds of the total volume of news. This is more pronounced in weekly papers. Most of the main news items were political stories.
MASTER OF VOICES
Discordant notes in dateline inequality, as far as the geography and sociology of the districts and local populations are concerned, constitute a major crux of the existing problem in retaining, let alone increasing, the numerical strength of readership. What news datelines denote and detail makes a revealing study.
"Parachute journalism" denotes the practice of assigning reporters to file stories about which they have little or no knowledge. It leans on passive journalism rather than engaging in proactive legwork for extra and probably exclusive information for a story.
When India hosted a two-day G20 summit in New Delhi in 2023, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu displayed its influence as most of Nepal's major national broadsheet dailies, in both government and private sectors, gave prime space on op-ed pages to an article bylined by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 9. This was something quite unheard of, not only in Nepal but perhaps in the whole of South Asia and most democracies across the world.
Two months later, on November 30, 2023, Modi again figured as the author of a piece that appeared in several leading broadsheet dailies in the capital city—a privilege accorded without any precedent in Nepal's media annals. While Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal sourced the article to the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, some private papers skipped this part, as if the Indian prime minister had written an exclusive piece for each of them. Annapurna Post went out of its way to highlight Modi's article in a front-page teaser. The overplay could convey an impression that foreign missions exert considerable clout on a large section of the Nepalese media.
A 2023 study by Shree Ram Paudel of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Tribhuvan University, reiterates that the front pages of newspapers are dominated by Kathmandu-centric bylines and news content. National dailies do not give significant space to news stories originating outside Kathmandu Valley. Only issues like disasters, wildlife and a few human-interest stories are picked up from these areas.
Today, the vehicle for retuning content collection and presentation is a potent medium to set off. But the leeway might drastically narrow if competitors take an earlier plunge into adapting to the prevailing context with the aid of untapped tools and sharper focus. Printed news readership is generally set to decline in the days ahead. The youth and children brought up in the digital age will have less orientation and taste for printed newspapers and magazines. Within the next generation, subscriptions and newspapers at the newsstands are likely to decline sharply.
Do's and Don'ts
Gatekeeping is of vital significance for every item and page. They should be weighed for content, including readers' interest, the proximity factor, and editorial responsibility to be professionally inclusive. Like an eagle eye, the news desk cuts the excess fat in news items. Professional trimming makes a story tight and a pleasing read. This means giving thought to the geography of datelines as well as the sociology and diversity of credibly relevant sources of information. Appreciation of news beats should not compromise going soft on the sources concerned.
News editors should encourage the use of names and places related to events. Maximum mobilization of stringers and news bureaus produces stories that add to the proximity feel for readers. It contributes to news and views in print media being relatable to a larger section of the readership. When stories are dominated by official programs, routine calendar events, press briefings, press releases, and official speeches, a newspaper reads stale. With a round-the-clock deadline, online news channels flash news stories early, and readers assume there might not be much to go through in print media.
Districts outside Kathmandu Valley, too, might be facing the type of chronic problems the capital city faces, such as drinking water, health, sanitation, road conditions, and public spaces. These cannot be overlooked. Follow-up stories on non-routine events, individuals, and institutions are much-neglected areas that should be addressed on a merit basis. Non-political, in-depth, interpretative, and investigative reports by individual reporters or teams of two or more, within and outside the Kathmandu Valley, enhance the overall content quality. Liberal use of news bylines and mention of names and places is a powerful practice for attracting and retaining readership. Stories strewn with sharp and appropriate direct quotes give them weight and power, adding authority and authenticity.
Using photos merits judicious practice in terms of relevance, size, background, and frequency, and indeed the caption. Inside pages can be used for specific subjects like business and finance, international news, entertainment, and sports deserve visual illustrations, including photos, maps, sketches, and data diagrams. However, the illustrations should not be for mere style but for substance that strengthens the story presented.
News sources are any reporter's priceless treasure trove. Various forms of interviews are of vital importance to produce content that puts things in the best possible perspective, which readers and immediate stakeholders appreciate. Not only news but also opinion pieces, including editorial topics and feature articles, should flow from diverse locations and sources, which means also from outside Kathmandu Valley for an all-Nepal feel.
Agendas thrust upon, and issues diverted or distorted in the name of gatekeeping, at a time when prominent journalists in the West have begun dismissing "two-sides-ism" as outdated and impractical, do not bode well for maintaining objectivity. Little wonder that a Gallup poll in 2022 showed that Americans tend to trust newspapers significantly more than television. But their number is less than half the U.S. population. American media critics are concerned about journalism losing considerable public trust. A Gallup poll found that only 16 percent of Americans have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in newspapers. This was down from 25 percent in 2012 and 35 percent in 2002.
Regarding the 1990 Iraq war, American television journalist Lesley Stahl points out: "The news media became so unpopular that at one point 62 percent in a Washington Post poll said that the Allies should bomb a Baghdad hotel even if it were filled with Western reporters. More than 80 percent told the Gallup Poll that they approved of tight restrictions on the media."
Ultimately, it is adequate competent hands and effective leadership, backed by management support that make or mar a newspaper. The image and reputation of a publication are its public face—and with it, that of the publishing house.
An early lead in this effort would pace ahead of immediate competitors, but a head start is important. Delayed initiatives would have already allowed rivals to take the vital lead, and few readers would bother to assess which paper is better and since when. Time is clearly running out for a situation destined to see a diminished presence of printed media within the next 25 years. Only editors and management with vision, commitment, and a desire to implement suitable programs—backed by necessary investment in human resources and other infrastructure—can enable their publications not only to survive but also to thrive in the times ahead.
