These social media sites have brought a drastic change in the way we communicate, they way we express ourselves and the way we think about different things around us. Social media has empowered us in a way we’ve never been empowered. [break]
It is a must for many of us to have a virtual presence. Be it Hollywood celebrities, political leaders, athletes, writers, and many more. Social networking provides a platform for two way communication for all. And lately, even our prime minister has opened an account on twitter and he is getting tremendous response.
In such an era, it is a must for all journalists as well to master the tools like twitter, Facebook, etc., that run on smart phone. However, as most journalists in Nepal still do not use mobile apps, one of the best ways to stay connected and updated with the world can be through normal Cell Phones via SMS.
Nepal is an agricultural country and the land of mountains. In such topography, it is extremely difficult to reach to people living in all corners. Recent reports from Nepal Telecom Authority show that Mobile Penetration has crossed 60% in Nepal and is expected to grow in the coming days. Around 65% of the mobile users can use SMS easily.
Hence, SMS can be used as one of the best tools to reach to people and to get feedbacks from them. We believe that technology can make life of people easier, only if it is made simple to use and cost effective.
There are around 2 million Facebook users in Nepal. Our idea is to give users a platform to speak out by using simple SMS and then broadcast the same on social media.
It is found that most of the journalists know how to use SMS but they are not aware of mobile apps. Hence, SMS Journalism can be one of the best ways to survive the competition and to speak to the world through Digital Media.
Focusing on simplicity and cost effectiveness, we have launched Digicard, a free SMS service that can be used by journalists for SMS Journalism. Journalists can connect to the digital world at just a normal SMS charge taken by Telecom Operators.
The service is free of cost from Sparrow SMS and is a part of Corporate Social Responsibility of Janaki Technology Pvt. Ltd.
Agrawal is CEO at Janaki Technology.
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