| Username |
Post |
| sally |
Posted
on 18-Jul-01 12:52 PM
Like many of you, I've been frustrated at the lack of credible news coverage of the current situation in Rolpa. Not only is there little news from Nepal, but if all we had as a source was the US media, we wouldn't even know it was happening. After the massacre failed to result in ongoing riots, the journalists packed up their parachutes and went off to the next hot spot ... the front stoop of Gary Condit's condo.
I think we'll have to wait for some of the following things to happen before we see any attention given to Nepal again by the American media.
TOP 10 WAYS TO GET U.S. MEDIA TO COVER NEPAL
10. BREAKING NEWS! Search of Chandra Levy's computer reveals she looked up discount fairs to Nepal just before disappearing.
9. Health News: Doctor Invents Sure-Fire Diet. Eat and Work Like a Nepali Villager for One Month. Weight loss guaranteed! It'll tone those flabby thighs, too.
8. BREAKING NEWS! Chandra Levy and Gary Condit Had Secret Weekend of Love in Kathmandu!
7. Fashion news: Bored with too many outfits in your closet? Two words: Khate Chic.
6. Entertainment news: Next edition of "Survivor" will be filmed in Nepal. Contestants will be dropped in Nepal with ordinary housing and an ordinary salary, and see if they can survive.
5. Jerry Springer: "Nepali Harassers and Women Who Knee Them." Nepali men with tattoos (this is Jerry Springer, there are certain requirements for getting on the show) talk about harassing women. Nepali women respond by kneeing them in the groin on nationwide TV. Chairs fly, hair gets pulled, ratings skyrocket.
4. Business News: Economists recently learned that bandhs and curfews (not to speak of monsoons) keep people indoors so often that Nepal has been tagged as a prime market for TV advertising. "While Nepal has only a small population of people with enough money to buy our products, it's a perfect market," says John G. Bigdough, head of marketing for SuperCorp, "We have a real captive audience."
3. BREAKING NEWS! Maoist guerillas are using Chandra Levy as a human shield!
2. "Do You Want To Be a Millionaire" has a million-dollar question: "What is happening in Nepal?" No one in the US can answer it. This is blamed on the fact that they watch US media.
1. BREAKING NEWS! After floods, earthquakes, and the geologically destabilizing impact of Maoist bombs and marching soldiers, the entire country of Nepal is reported to have vanished. Investigators are expected to search for signs of Nepal in Gary Condit's apartment.
|
| sally |
Posted
on 18-Jul-01 04:29 PM
And while they're at it, they might act on this tip from KOL and look for the mysteriously missing "eastern" district of "Arghakhchi." Biswo, you can add this one to your Jay Leno list of KOL bloopers ...
ARGHAKHCHI, July 18 - Maoist rebels, who have stepped up
their violent campaign against the government in recent days,
have killed at least three more policemen in the eastern
district of Arghakhchi.
First person to find Arghakhchi in eastern Nepal gets a prize.
|
| Biswo |
Posted
on 18-Jul-01 04:45 PM
LOL!
|
| The Spelling Bee Champ |
Posted
on 18-Jul-01 05:14 PM
Isn't is spelled Argarkhachi
|
| Biswo |
Posted
on 18-Jul-01 05:36 PM
Should be Arghakhachi, I think.
|
| Rashmi |
Posted
on 19-Jul-01 01:50 AM
This is hilarious Sally. Keep posting such humorous stuffs
|
| suman pradhan |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 04:36 AM
Dear Sally,
I admire your sense of humour and satire. Pls keep up the postings.
Having said that, I, however, cannot agree with the wholesale accusation against the US media implied in your posting. I am here in Nepal but I get to read, thanks to the Internet, at least one story a week about Nepal on a major US newspaper, eg, the Boston Globe, Washington Post, New York Times etc. The last one I read was yesterday by Barry Bearak of the NY Times about the extended mourning by Nepalis for the late royal family. And there have been some excellent stories about the Maoist insurgency, women's struggle for parental property, poverty, etc etc.
Also, I know that you do not get to watch the International edition of CNN in the US, but the channel has been airing Nepal quite frequently these days, but of course it is usually when something nasty breaks out, like the Maoist killings, Rolpa mission etc etc. As the local "stringer" for CNN, I share the responsibility for such reporting, but news is news. Anyway, this is just to let you know that Nepal is not that far out for major US media groups these days. We are getting coverage. Not all of that coverage is positive,but going by the strict definition of what makes news, the US media I would say is doing a fair enough job. Just a thought.
cheers
suman
>Like many of you, I've been frustrated at
>the lack of credible news coverage of the
>current situation in Rolpa. Not only is
>there little news from Nepal, but if all we
>had as a source was the US media, we wouldn'
>t even know it was happening. After the
>massacre failed to result in ongoing riots,
>the journalists packed up their parachutes
>and went off to the next hot spot ... the
>front stoop of Gary Condit's condo.
>
>I think we'll have to wait for some of the
>following things to happen before we see any
>attention given to Nepal again by the
>American media.
>
>
>TOP 10 WAYS TO GET U.S. MEDIA TO COVER NEPAL
>
>
>10. BREAKING NEWS! Search of Chandra Levy's
>computer reveals she looked up discount
>fairs to Nepal just before disappearing.
>
>9. Health News: Doctor Invents Sure-Fire
>Diet. Eat and Work Like a Nepali Villager
>for One Month. Weight loss guaranteed! It'll
>tone those flabby thighs, too.
>
>8. BREAKING NEWS! Chandra Levy and Gary
>Condit Had Secret Weekend of Love in
>Kathmandu!
>
>7. Fashion news: Bored with too many outfits
>in your closet? Two words: Khate Chic.
>
>6. Entertainment news: Next edition of "
>Survivor" will be filmed in Nepal.
>Contestants will be dropped in Nepal with
>ordinary housing and an ordinary salary, and
>see if they can survive.
>
>5. Jerry Springer: "Nepali Harassers and
>Women Who Knee Them." Nepali men with
>tattoos (this is Jerry Springer, there are
>certain requirements for getting on the show)
> talk about harassing women. Nepali women
>respond by kneeing them in the groin on
>nationwide TV. Chairs fly, hair gets pulled,
>ratings skyrocket.
>
>4. Business News: Economists recently
>learned that bandhs and curfews (not to
>speak of monsoons) keep people indoors so
>often that Nepal has been tagged as a prime
>market for TV advertising. "While Nepal has
>only a small population of people with
>enough money to buy our products, it's a
>perfect market," says John G. Bigdough, head
>of marketing for SuperCorp, "We have a real
>captive audience."
>
>3. BREAKING NEWS! Maoist guerillas are using
>Chandra Levy as a human shield!
>
>2. "Do You Want To Be a Millionaire" has a
>million-dollar question: "What is happening
>in Nepal?" No one in the US can answer it.
>This is blamed on the fact that they watch
>US media.
>
>1. BREAKING NEWS! After floods, earthquakes,
>and the geologically destabilizing impact of
>Maoist bombs and marching soldiers, the
>entire country of Nepal is reported to have
>vanished. Investigators are expected to
>search for signs of Nepal in Gary Condit's
>apartment.
|
| suman pradhan |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 04:42 AM
The last one I read was yesterday
>by Barry Bearak of the NY Times about the
>extended mourning by Nepalis for the late
>royal family.
Oops, it was by John Burns and not by Mr Bearak. Bearak, I hear through the grapevine, is being sent over by the NY Times to do a story on the Maoists.
cheers
suman
>Dear Sally,
>
>I admire your sense of humour and satire.
>Pls keep up the postings.
>
>Having said that, I, however, cannot agree
>with the wholesale accusation against the US
>media implied in your posting. I am here in
>Nepal but I get to read, thanks to the
>Internet, at least one story a week about
>Nepal on a major US newspaper, eg, the
>Boston Globe, Washington Post, New York
>Times etc. The last one I read was yesterday
>by Barry Bearak of the NY Times about the
>extended mourning by Nepalis for the late
>royal family. And there have been some
>excellent stories about the Maoist
>insurgency, women's struggle for parental
>property, poverty, etc etc.
>
>Also, I know that you do not get to watch
>the International edition of CNN in the US,
>but the channel has been airing Nepal quite
>frequently these days, but of course it is
>usually when something nasty breaks out,
>like the Maoist killings, Rolpa mission etc
>etc. As the local "stringer" for CNN, I
>share the responsibility for such reporting,
>but news is news. Anyway, this is just to
>let you know that Nepal is not that far out
>for major US media groups these days. We are
>getting coverage. Not all of that coverage
>is positive,but going by the strict
>definition of what makes news, the US media
>I would say is doing a fair enough job. Just
>a thought.
>
>cheers
>suman
>
>
>
>>Like many of you, I've been frustrated at
>>the lack of credible news coverage of the
>>current situation in Rolpa. Not only is
>>there little news from Nepal, but if all we
>
>had as a source was the US media, we
>wouldn'
>>t even know it was happening. After the
>>massacre failed to result in ongoing riots,
>
>the journalists packed up their
>parachutes
>>and went off to the next hot spot ... the
>>front stoop of Gary Condit's condo.
>>
>>I think we'll have to wait for some of the
>>following things to happen before we see
>any
>>attention given to Nepal again by the
>>American media.
>>
>>
>>TOP 10 WAYS TO GET U.S. MEDIA TO COVER
>NEPAL
>>
>>
>>10. BREAKING NEWS! Search of Chandra Levy'
>s
>>computer reveals she looked up discount
>>fairs to Nepal just before disappearing.
>>
>>9. Health News: Doctor Invents Sure-Fire
>>Diet. Eat and Work Like a Nepali Villager
>>for One Month. Weight loss guaranteed! It'
>ll
>>tone those flabby thighs, too.
>>
>>8. BREAKING NEWS! Chandra Levy and Gary
>>Condit Had Secret Weekend of Love in
>>Kathmandu!
>>
>>7. Fashion news: Bored with too many
>outfits
>>in your closet? Two words: Khate Chic.
>>
>>6. Entertainment news: Next edition of "
>>Survivor" will be filmed in Nepal.
>>Contestants will be dropped in Nepal with
>>ordinary housing and an ordinary salary,
>and
>>see if they can survive.
>>
>>5. Jerry Springer: "Nepali Harassers and
>>Women Who Knee Them." Nepali men with
>>tattoos (this is Jerry Springer, there are
>>certain requirements for getting on the
>show)
>> talk about harassing women. Nepali women
>>respond by kneeing them in the groin on
>>nationwide TV. Chairs fly, hair gets pulled,
>
>>ratings skyrocket.
>>
>>4. Business News: Economists recently
>>learned that bandhs and curfews (not to
>>speak of monsoons) keep people indoors so
>>often that Nepal has been tagged as a prime
>
>market for TV advertising. "While Nepal
>has
>>only a small population of people with
>>enough money to buy our products, it's a
>>perfect market," says John G. Bigdough,
>head
>>of marketing for SuperCorp, "We have a real
>
>captive audience."
>>
>>3. BREAKING NEWS! Maoist guerillas are
>using
>>Chandra Levy as a human shield!
>>
>>2. "Do You Want To Be a Millionaire" has a
>>million-dollar question: "What is happening
>
>in Nepal?" No one in the US can answer it.
>
>>This is blamed on the fact that they watch
>>US media.
>>
>>1. BREAKING NEWS! After floods, earthquakes,
>
>>and the geologically destabilizing impact
>of
>>Maoist bombs and marching soldiers, the
>>entire country of Nepal is reported to have
>
>vanished. Investigators are expected to
>>search for signs of Nepal in Gary Condit's
>>apartment.
|
| sally |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 09:38 AM
Hi Suman,
Thanks! Bearak has a story in today's NY Times on Girija's resignation. I'm a real fan of his writing, and the Times does do a good job of covering major breaking news in Nepal.
The trouble is that most Americans don't get their news from the Times, the Post, or the Globe. It never fails to amaze me how CNN, with all its resources and 24 hours a day to broadcast, manages to ignore most of the world. International CNN may be another story, but that's not what Americans see, of course. As the local stringer, I wish you luck in getting a story on CNN's US broadcast!!! Run some of my suggestions past your editors :-)
Also, I'm afraid that while the Post is indisputably a great paper, it's been missing the mark on post-massacre Nepal. I think all it's had since July 1 is a brief on the new kumari. You can find it on the Web under the heading about saving a sick whale.
Ultimately I think the problem is not so much with individual journalists or (maybe) even their editors, but with an insular US market-driven culture that values entertainment and the "easy sell" over substance and may, in the process, misread the very market it aims to capture.
I was once in a little mom-and-pop shop in my home town when I overheard two blue collar folks talking about the local newspaper. One says something like, "Ya know, it don't respect our intelligence." And the other says, "Yeah. If ya ask me, I'd ratha look up woids in the dictionary and loin somethin' than read stuff what's too simple and don't teach me nothin'."
I'd like to think that most American--even if they DO also watch Jerry Springer--would agree with those folks.
|
| Dhoobi |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 11:04 AM
The best way get western media attention is to take a few of those western tourists hostage. Then we will see Nepal in the headlines on CNN. Otherwise they wouldn't give a horse's ass about Nepal. Or maybe even a Girija family massacre would help too.
|
| sally |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 11:18 AM
Yes, but it would hardly be worth it, would it?
|
| Dhoobi |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 11:40 AM
But the hostages would have to be taken by the Maoists. With the foreign pressure on the Nepali Govt. would get them off their asses and to actually do something. We might even get help from the westerners to eradicate the pests that are obstucting the progress of the country.
|
| sally |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 12:20 PM
Well, the govt IS doing something. You might or might not agree with what it's doing, but I don't think troops were sent to Rolpa to play carom board. Girija has resigned. There are human rights negotiators who are doing what they can. All of that is "something."
A kidnapping would do nothing except get a week's coverage on CNN (in between the news on Chanda) and kill off tourism for good. There are no shortage of countries where Americans in particular have been attacked, and nobody came in to "eradicate the pests." Remember the Philippines kidnapping? Or Kashmir? Those kidnappings did absolutely nothing for EITHER side.
As for "foreign pressure," there's nothing magical about that. Seems to me some Western hostages were held for years and years in Lebanon, with no shortage of "foreign pressure," and nothing improved. There's certainly "foreign pressure" in Iraq--to the point where Iraqis have been dying for lack of medical care--but it hasn't worked.
No, Nepalis will have to work this out for themselves. Which is as it should be.
|
| Dhoobi |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 01:03 PM
Well !!
You were talking about getting press attention....
But if you want media attention with reponsibility. Who the hell on earth would give a rats behind about Nepal. When India had economic blocade against Nepal, we begged for help from the world community(ration of 1 ltr. of petrol a week). Nobody cared.
Look at Afganisthan, when those guys were blowing up those statues. The world was crying foul. But when their people were starving, nobody gave a damn. I know they have problems over there with the Taliban. But we are talking about innocent humans. The world community would rather save those stone statues than help humans. That just shows the true colours of the world community.
But with China emerging as a super power, & us being neighbours. We might benefit a lot from the US govt. who wants to play peek-a-boo with china. Just like the Paaki's were used during the holy war of Afganisthan. Nepal at the moment have a real strategic value for US to play I-SPY with china. Its high enough for satellites, mountains... perfect sheilds. Its stationery , no casualities.
|
| Biswo |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 04:06 PM
Dear Sally:
Do we really need publicity in USA?
Most of the (international) news in US media is about the massacre
in Israel/Palestine these days. Latest news from England is about
the racial riot. Japan rarely makes headlines, except for the
ravishing of Japanese girls by GIs.
I think no news is probably good news for us. Once when I was in
China in 1994, I found that there were virtually no news about
Nepal in Chinese media. Those who worked as watchman, in bush
patrol, as janitors in our university there, Nepal for them was
something almost unheard of. And one day, I saw our watchman
was pointing out to me saying "he is from Nepal" to a few
persons sitting next to him. I realized that people were looking
at me with both pity and amazement.I later found the reason:
Nepal was beaten by South Korea in Asiad (Japan) in football
by 11-0 that day, 8 of those goals were scored by a single person.
What a good way to get publicity!
Finland never (almost never) comes in news.[Nokia comes in
financial news though!]Luxemberg etc also rarely featured in
news. I wish we were also like them.Peaceful,nondescript, and
free-of-problem.
|
| sally |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 04:53 PM
Biswo,
Yes, I sure wish we could go back to the days when news from Nepal was as rare as news from Finland. For a small country, no news should be good news.
But the thing is, when something is happening, I do wish the US media paid more attention. That's really a longstanding concern of mine, irrespective of any interest in Nepal--which until recently, seldom did warrant much coverage from a sheer "news judgment" standpoint.
The British do a far better job, I think. There's a British show on TV here, and once a couple years back it reported that something like a third of all Bangladeshis were out of their homes due to flooding. Now you'd think that when a third of a country goes underwater, there'd be some coverage on US TV. Heck, it's even good visuals. But nah ...
Btw, I'm speaking as a media insider. Before my "mommy break" I worked in the newsroom of a daily, so I definitely am not "anti-media." Once I suggested that my paper run a brief from the wires on flooding in Nepal and Bangladesh--and the editor responded, honest to gosh, "Let 'em go play with their Book of the Dead! There are too many people in that part of the world anyway."
Sad but true. He was, btw, a competent if rather hard-bitten fellow with good news judgment, and I think, from his perspective, it was just a bit of the "black humor" that does tend to flow in newsrooms. I didn't hold it against him. But I think it indicated a certain attitude towards the rest of the world that I wish (however quixotically) would change.
But I agree that it would be wonderful if there was never a need to cover Nepal at all. Except, perhaps, for Everest and--we can always hope and dream--some great strides in human development.
|
| Biswo |
Posted
on 20-Jul-01 11:39 PM
Dear Sally:
I think US media has been very blood thirsty these days. Today,
as a person whose primary source of knowledge is cnn and abcnews,
I tried to remember the last time I heard about a lot of
countries. The last time, I heard about Switzerland was about
Davos seminar this January,but before that I heard about the
rafting accident in which more than 20 were killed. Last time,
I heard about Belgium when someone big-shot there was embroiled in
a helicopter-purchase scam. Sweden-for these international
anti-globalization protesters. Canada-for same reason. Austria-
Haider, the neonazist ascends to power.In Asia, China is lucky,
because its last coverage was about Olympics.Korea- three soldiers
and a pilot died in a helicopter crash when they tried to put
a statue in bridge. Japan-Okinawa protests. Phillippines- hostage
crisis and beheading of American hostage. Indonesia-Christian-
Moslem riot in Poso where hundreds died.Papua New Guinea- For
tsunami that killed people. Australia-Olympic(good,at last). In
Latin America:Costarica-killing of two American tourists.Nicaragua
and Honduras- El Nino ravage....Africa fares worst. Needless to
say.For new viruses, new diseases etc etc.
I think Britain and Australia are the only lucky countries which
are mentioned frequently here (Russel Crowe, Nicole Kidman,
Madonna, Catherine Zeta Jones etc should be thanked for that..)Oh,
yes, Fiji was in news because Tom Cruise spent his vaccation there
a few days ago. ET showed very beautiful island where he went in
his private jet.
I hope that Nepal will have a better niche in US media in future.
For Everest ascension, for new tourism routes and for new economic
opportunities.That's all we can hope for now, haina?
|
