MEDIA-SOCIETY THEORY

Features of Mass Media Institutions

*           Mass Media Institutions are segmented and classified on the bases of the technologies they utilize

(e.g. print media, broadcast media, transit media, outdoor media, electronic media, film media, etc.)

*           Mass Media Institutions are professional organizations which are normally bureaucratic in form

*           Mass Media Institutions are mainly engaged in the production and distribution of symbolic content

*           The participation of the Sender and Receiver in the Communication Process is voluntary

*           Mass Media Institutions differ from country to country/region to region

*           Mass Media Institutions are an integral component of the society, as such they need to operate in the public sphere, and are accordingly regulated by the society

*           Mass Media are normally free and powerless in nature

History of Nepalese Print Media

 Pre- Rana period is considered as just the foundation of pre- development of journalism in Nepal inwhich just hand written, oral communication system like postal services, katuwal karaune, Damaha Bajaune were in practice. Social system also was very simple and people used to communicate easily. In south Asia the first newspaper Bangal Gazette, English weekly was published in 1780 AD from Kolkata. It had an influence to the other states in India but not in Nepal which was almost in the Dark Age.

During the emergence of Rana Regime Prime Minister Junga Bahadur Rana brought the Giddhe press from Britain in 1851. During Rana regime for more than a century - only 12 magazines and papers published. Out of them two were the weekly papers and rest 10 were monthlies. Neighboring countries were ahead in education and journalism and the first Nepali paper Gorkha Bharat Jiwan was published from Varanasi under the editorship of Ram Krishna Varma during late 1890s. It was the monthly and literary magazine . It encouraged Nepalis for journalism and gave a standpoint for Nepali language  a standard records.

 Some five years later in 1898 Sudha Sagar, first Nepali Magazine was published from Kathmandu. It was published by Nara Dev Pandey. It is the second Nepali language magazine ever published. In 1901, Gorkhapatra, the first Nepali newspaper and third in publication row of newspaper history came into being . It was the second production in Nepal. The next paper Sharada, published by Riddhi Bahadur Malla, came almost after 34 years in 1934. Nepali audience had to wait for next a decade to read the daily newspaper which came just after the establishment of democracy in 1950.

The first daily newspaper Awaj was published just one day after the declaration took place. Siddhicharan Shrestha, the editor of the newspaper had taken the banner news the deceleration of democracy with picture of then King Tribhuvan .Women editors also started magazine from 1951, Mahila ,a monthly magazine , Sadhana Pradhan and Kamalesha Devi were the editors. Nepal Guardian, the first English Daily Newspaper was taken in the market  by Barun Shamsher Rana in 1954 . Enthnic newspapers also started, Asha Ram Shakya published  Pasa, Newari  fortnightly in 1952 AD , during Depawai  and Tranga,the first Hindi weekly paper was published by Bhoj Bahadur Singh. The first paper published in Moffusil was Sewa monthly published in 1951 by Shyam Prasad Sharma from Birgunj. From Rana period to 1960 altogether One hundred and 70 papers were in existence, out of them 26 were daillies. Dr KI Sigh's paper Samyukta Prayash published the first cartoon .The cartoon was about constituent assembly,a man with two faces.

1960 coup setback Nepali press. Panchayat Regime was imposed and newspaper was divided into Pro- Panchayat Mission, and in Anty panchayat mission. From 19th February, 1960 Gorkhapatra became daily, before this date it was thrice a week publication. Just one year later on the same day, Nepal Sambad Samiti and Sagarmatha Sambad Samiti were merged into Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) and RSS formally established as government run News Agency. During Panchayat Period weekly papers were very popular. Interview columns were also very poplar. In 1965, Rising Nepal the first government run daily newspaper was established.

During referendum period, 1979-80 Nepali print press enjoyed freedom as political ban was lifted for a year. It is considered as the period of total Press freedom in panchayat Era. In 1981 Panchayat constitution was amended and limited press freedom was given few papers faced the cancellation of registration.

During 1990, Nepal received new democratic constitution through popular movement . It guaranteed press freedom. Because of it, huge investment entered in to Journalism sector from 19 February 1992, Kantipur and the Kathmandu Post daily started. Many Radio and TV Channels also came into being during this period for the first time in South Asia; FM stations started news casting from Nepal. Another dimentation, online journalism started in Nepal. Killing of 18 Journalist and militarization of newsroom were the setback of this period. Media played a vital role in 19 days movement, Janaandolan II. They became free after May 2006 but Maoists cadres creating problem at present. 

Behavioral Change

Media provide adequate information to people. Information is knowledge and knowledge is power. It means information make the people powerful by knowledge. The functions of media are to inform, to educate, to entertain, to persuade and to socialize.

Media make people mature, so if the watch, heard or read the news related accident the do not be panic. Due to repetition of these types of news time to time, people take it without panic. People draw their attention to receive information by media. So information has been established as basic needs of people. They don not look to sky to know the weather of the day, but they tune to radio or television. Media has been appropriate medium for information which is related with daily human life. So dependency to media is growing up day by day.

Media provide in formation as quick as they can. These types of flow of information make behavior of people quick. They can do their duty on time. Media grow consciousness of people and consciousness makes them empowered.

We can know many individuals who are from different sector. It makes people socialized as well as culture of collaboration will grow by media. Discussion and interaction is possible with the help of media. Behaviour of people to reach to conclusion will be developed.

Indian Press History

Under British Rule

- Bengal Gazette (English weekly) published by James Augustus Hicky in 1780 Jan 29th from Calcutta. It was the first news paper in South Asian sub- continent

- Bengal Gazette alias ‘Hicky Gazette’, ‘Calcutta General Advertiser’

- Declaration ‘a weekly political and commercial paper open to all but influenced by none’

- Hicky had his own column, many persons wrote by pen names.

- Bengal Gazette could not survive more than two years due to sharp confrontation with Governer General Warren Hastings and Chief Justice Elijah Impey.

- Indian Gazette as a rival to Bengal Gazette, published in the same year (1780) by Peter Read, a salt agent (backing by Hastings).

- After Bengal Gazette, other publications from India were- Madras Courier weekly (1785), Bombay Herald weekly (1789) merged into Bombay Gazette in 1791, Hurukaru weekly (1793), Calcutta Chronicle (1818), Bengal Journal, Indian world, Bengal Harkarer etc.

- In the early period newspapers in India were run by Britishers.


RUDYARD KIPLING

A renowned man of the pen – born in Bombay – his father, a British citizen was a government officer in India – Rudyard joined Civil and Military Gazette (Lahore) in 1872 at the age of 17- worked for five years in Gazette- then moved to the Pioneer- his writings specially monologue and fictions were very impressive- ‘writing and every thing associated with, is a glorious fun’, ‘I love both the fun and riot of writing’- after suffering from malaria he was compelled to left India and went to England in1890- he served about 7 years in India as a journalist- he is still remembered as a creative journalist in the history of Indian journalism- reflections of his Indian experience can be seen in his several writings.

Indian’s involvement in publication

- Raja Ram Mohan Roy, the pioneer Indian journalist and social reformer

- By his inspiration Gangadhar Bhattacharjee published Bengal Gazette (1816),
the first Indian owned English daily newspaper, but could not survive long

- Raja’s own publications- Sambad Kaumudi (Bengali 1821), Mirut ul Akhbar (Persian 1822) and Brahminical Magazine (English 1822)

- Press Regulation –1823 imposed by British govt. in India to control newspapers.

- The regulation was used as a tool to deport James Silk Buckingham, Editor of Calcutta Chronicle.

- Raja presented a petition to Supreme Court to protest the regulation in favour of J.S. Buckingham.

- It was his bold step for the preservation of press freedom, however he defeated the case.


- Anti reformists Hindu fundamentalists published Samachar Chandrika weekly to challenge Raja’s social reforms.

- Raja passed away in 1833

- 1857 Mutiny (the first war of Indian independence) was a turning point to Indian journalism.

- In the issue of mutiny, British owned press and Indian owned press blamed each other in the lowest level.

- British owned press acted like blood mongers of Indians.

- This event worked as a fuel to Indian owned press against the British rule in India.

- Pioneers Indian journalists on those days- Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Gangadhar Bhattacharjee, Bhawani Charan Bannerjee, Dwarkanath Tagore, Girish Chandra Ghose, Harischandra Mukharjee, Ishworchandra Vidyasagar, Kristo Pal, Manmohan Ghose, Keshub Chander Sen etc.

- Other major publications by Indians- The Reformer, Enquirer, Gyan Auneshun, Bengal Herald, Bang Doot, Hindu Patriot, Indian Mirror, Sulab Samachar, etc.