Suggestions and Recommendations from the participants

Group Assignment

Issues:

i) What are the threats and challenges while reporting on CA and what are the recommendations?
ii) What are the challenges of local media in respective at their resources, manpower and capacity building opportunities and what could be the solutions?

1. Bardia Group:

i) Dangers while reporting on CA

Problems

1. The groups that are not willing to hold constituent assembly election
2. Violent activities by different ethnic group
3. Political parties who participate in the election.

Solutions

1. Development of healthy environment for participation of various parties in the election by the government. Nepali press should also attempt to reinforce the importance and responsibilities Dialogue with agitating parities. Journalists should be aware on reporting on nationality and sovereignty issues.
2. The media should be impartial, free and consistent. Reporting should not be biased.

ii) Problems encountered in local journalism and their solutions

Problems

1. Lack of resources
2. Irregular publication
3. Poor quality
4. Lack of publicity
5. Problems in market-unhealthy competition
6. Lack of adequate investment in the media

Solutions

1. Making resources easily available
2. Increase the use of modern technology
3. Regular publication of the papers
4. Easy provision of resources, trainings, advertisement to the district journalists
5. Local ads. should be provided to the local media.
6. To have mutual understanding between the local and national level journalists
7. Encourage for investment in the media

Maniraj Sharma
Dinesh Yadav
Om Sharma
Yuvraj Shrestha
Krishna Prasad Basyal

2. Banke Group

i) Dangers while reporting on CA

Problems

1. Terai and other movement
2. Activities of YCL
3. Threats by parties during election campaign and pressure from the parties to report in favour of them;
4. Threats and intimidation from agitating parties
5. Attack because of being from any region/communities/caste.
6. The instructions from the Federation of Journalists
7. Risk by the followers of the king;
8. Suppression from the media heads.
9. Contradictory issues between 'the Code of Ethics of journalists' and that of Election Committee.

Solutions

1. A separate Code of ethics on election reporting
2. Making a unique self identity
3. To have good information about a place before one is heading towards it and taking along a person from the community.
4. Not getting involved in any political party.
5. Develop a good relationship with all.
6. Provide equal space for all the parties.
7. Have a discussion within media house and prepare clear guidelines
8. Have a talk with the leader of a party if any problem arises.

ii) Problems encountered in the development of journalism and their solutions

Problems

1. Quality of local media is poor
2. Fear in investment
3. Using media houses for money and personal benefits.
4. Wrong application of journalism profession
5. Giving more priority to the advertisement.
6. Inadequate honorary, security, insurance etc for the journalists.
7. Lack of separate law for journalists.
8. Inadequate resources.
9. Low level of reliability of reporting
10. Weak media management

Solutions

1. Need analysis for investment on meida
2. Media house heads must be well informed about the media and its role
3. Journalists should not be any member of any pary
4. Disseminate impartial and well-balanced information.
5. A separate law for local journalists for their security at their profession.
6. Journalist should not take any benefit
7. Award to good journalists
8. Government should provide insurance, transport facilities, awards security and other resources.
9. Training at regular intervals for journalists
10. Adequate honorary for workers and a separate one for overtime job.
11. Strengthen the management
12. Good, impartial relation with all the parties.
13. Having meeting between the media house head and the workers.

Banke group Members
Netra K.C.
Chandani Sharma
Smriti Giri
Laxmi Choudhary

3. Jajarkot Group:

i) Dangers while reporting on CA

Problems

1. From political parties esp. YCL
2. Local anti-democratic group
3. Security force
4. Natural Calamities
5. Unsocial and illegal factors

Solutions

1. Impartial reporting by the journalists.
2. Write for the nation and the citizens.
3. Act as voice for those who cannot speak.
4. Follow 'the Code of Ethics of Journalism' strictly.
5. Don't enter into a big mob.
6. Don't use expensive clothes.
7. Never report in favor of one party.
8. Maintain etiquette with all, report with confidence

ii) Problems encountered in the development of journalism and their solutions

Problems

1. Inadequate basic resources like telephone, cell phone, fax, email, and Internet for the journalists.
2. Delay in getting information.
3. No publication of local newspaper and no availability of the papers from elsewhere in certain localities
4. No F.M. radio stations
5. Geographical perplexity and inaccessibility.
6. Inadequate training for the journalists.

Solutions

1. Provide telephone and internet facilities at the districts.
2. Telephone facilities to be provided in all the VDCs
3. Encourage establishment of F.M.
4. Training for journalism.
5. Emphasize on the transport, electricity and media.
6. PCN's interest subsidy system should be made remote friendly, provide a press for the remotest districts.

Team members Jajarkot:
Rajedra Karki
Bhim Bdr.Singh
Kali PD. Thapa
Samichhya Singh
Bimala Giri

3. Surkhet Group Print

i) Dangers while reporting on CA

Problems

1. Threat: Both from political parties as well as anti-democratic groups
2. Greed: Attempt to lure journalists in favor of their parties giving money etc.
3. Attack: Parties/groups who are against the constitutional assembly may attack physically to the journalists.
4. Not allowing to go to election area
5. Hindrances from party people who are aiming to make their party win.

Solutions

1. Inform the colleagues, editor and others before going to the field.
2. Get informed about the field before going.
3. Inform the office or home about where one is going and the problems that may be encountered.
4. Remain in contact and keep informing about the state from time to time in the field.
5. Reporting should be impartial.
6. Present oneself as per the security environment.

ii) Problems encountered in the development of journalism and their solutions

Problems

1. Copying news without giving sources: Journalists at the national level copy news from local papers to maintain their position.
2. Inadequate resources.
3. Forced to work without money
4. Lack of encouragement.
5. Lack of reward
6. Financial and social causes.

Solutions

1. Senior journalists should help juniors who are really keen on journalism profession.
2. Provide financial support even if it is less.
3. Timely trainings
4. Plead government, Department of Information, Press Council, FNJ Center for availability of different resources.

Team members Surkhet Print
Tila Bhandari
(leader)
Lalit Basel
Ganesh Karki
Mina Bali
GaneshKanchan Bharati
Ramesh Shahi
Shreedhar Poudel
Devkumar Subedi
Manjul Adhikari

5. Surkhet District: Radio

i) Dangers while reporting on CA

Problems

1. Parties and agitating parties
2. Reactionaries loyal to feudalism
3. Parties' indirect pressure to favour them
4. Media partisan
5. Resources for equipment and lack of training

Solutions

1. Reporting should be impartial, in favor of the nation, democracy & peace, and it should be within 'the Code of Ethics of Journalism'
2. Strong coordination among the journalists

ii) Problems encountered in the development of journalism and their solutions

Problems

1. Journalists are not paid as per their work so that they are forced to look for an alternate job.
2. More hours of work and less payment or no holidays.
3. Pressure from hooliganist to make news in favour of them
4. No support from media house when one is sick or having any difficulties.
5. Expensive equipments and ignorance regarding equipments.
6. Unhealthy media competition.
7. Journalists regard themselves as elite citizen

Solutions

1. Media house should be responsible enough.
2. Reporters must be consistent and impartial.

Team members:
Prakash Lamichhane
(leader)
Gasnesh Acharya
Ganesh Hamal
Raju Koirala
Bandhana K.C.
Kshitiza G.M.
Rita Kandel
Sudip Puri

6. Dailekh Group

i) Dangers while reporting on CA

Problems

1. Pressure from the parties.
2. Group that are against election, pressure from YCL.
3. Difficult in gathering news from election polling center
4. Practice of partisan journalism
5. Danger due to lack of information about the field before hand.
6. Natural calamities.

Solutions

1. No reporting based on rumors.
2. Be aware of electoral politics.
3. Study hard about election and code of conduct
4. Train them for first aid.
5. Have good relation with parties, security people and other media people.
6. Don't get attached to any parties.

ii) Problems encountered in the development of journalism and their solutions

Problems in journalism

1. Inadequate training and resources
2. Lack of electronic equipments.
3. Lack of email and internet facilities.
4. News copying
5. Lack of awareness in the public regarding journalism.
6. Long voluntary work
7. Adverse physical and mental pressure of politics on journalists.
8. Difficulties due to geographical perplexity.
9. Lack of training on management.

Solutions

1. Training of the local journalist about local journalism and management.
2. Financial support from the government and Media development Fund for offset press, DTP and wireless networking.
3. Separate act for local media and journalists
4. Interaction with civil society, government and political parties and encourage for professional security.
5. Give transport facilities to the journalists.
6. Journalists' job at district level should be secured
7. Seat at FNJ Center should be secured

Team Members Dailekh
Chitra Prasad Rijal
Bishnu Sharma
Pushkar Thapa
Govinda Dev Bharati
Puja Bhandari
Radhika Buda