| Username |
Post |
| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 12:56 PM
The following comments will focus on the fact that the popular site www.nepalnews.com practices rampant plagiarism, mostly from its rival site www.kantipuronline.com for information on various news, mostly breaking news. The most recognized Nepalese software company Mercantile Communications, and Nepal’s largest publication House, Kantipur Publications, run Nepalnews and Kantipur Online respectively. Nepalnews, I believe, is also backed by Himal Media of the Dixits fame.
Yes, Nepalnews has the best technical facilities at hand like its more popular chat site but Kantipur Online is going to beat its rival on the news front anyhow with its wide nexus of correspondents. However, with Nepalnews being run presently by such an established company, and a few experienced journalists, should it practice rampant plagiarism that might prove detrimental to Nepal’s booming Cyber Journalism?
Ashu, Diwas K…I await to view your comments on this issue, as you two have been the most vocal folks against plagiarism on this discussion board.
Follow below, some of my examples to prove my point:
1. (a) Kantipur Online News:
Hippos to arrive at Kathmandu Zoo
KOL Report
LALITPUR, March 19 – The Central Zoo located at the Valley's Jawalakhel area will be getting two hippopotamus by the second week of April from Bangkok, Thailand under the Animal Exchange and Management Program, Director of the Zoo Rajendra Shrestha said on Tuesday…
1 (b) Same news on Nepalnews:
Central zoo to bring in hippo
The weary denizens of the Kathmandu valley will have a reason to flock the Central Zoo with the bringing in of a pair of hippopotamus by the second week of April, 2002, sources said…
nepalnews.com, am Mar 20
Here,
The news has appeared a day later on Nepalnews, written by one so-called journalist by the name of am. The information on the later part of the news on Nepalnews is the same as Kantipur Online. Made me doubt: Nepalnews, is the source you’ve mentioned on the lead – Kantipur Online?
2. (a) Kantipur Online News:
Six Maoists shot dead
KOL Report
KATHMANDU, March 19 – At least five Maoists have been gunned down by Royal Nepal Army personnel, including one in the capital's Toka VDC and four others in Somadi VDC of Palpa district, on Tuesday, according to our reports. Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry has just confirmed the incidents, adding that one more terrorist was shot dead in Toka putting the death toll to total six…
2 (b) Same news on Nepalnews:
Four more Maoists killed, other details
Security forces shot dead four more Maoists in continuing search operations in Palpa and the capital Monday and Tuesday, local officials said. Three rebels were killed in a shoot-out with security forces at a forest in Palpa Tuesday morning, officials said.
Army overnight shot dead a suspected rebel who disobeyed orders to stop for a routine check at Tokha north of the city, officials said…
nepalnews.com br March 19
Here,
Kantipur Online had first carried the news saying five terrorists dead quoting their own correspondents even before the government officials confirmed the incident. Moments later, as usual, Nepalnews carried the same news quoting “officials”. Nepalnews: Just wanted to ask if you have correspondents in Palpa to verify the incident or again you’re “officials” are officials at Kantipur Online?
The news, I believe, is written by br (Bhola Rana, a former VoA correspondent). I wonder if a journalist of such high caliber should be practicing this.
3 (a) Kantipur Online news:
Govt, rebels exploring peace talks: Rights activists
KOL Report
KATHMANDU, March 19 - Even as fighting in the rural countryside rages on, both the government and the rebel Maoists are testing the waters for renewed peace negotiations, if prominent human rights activists are to be believed. In fact, according to the Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON), both sides have asked three human rights activists to explore the possibility of renewed talks…
3 (b) Same news on Nepalnews:
HURON makes peace moves
The Human Rights Association of Nepal (HURON) has formed a three member panel to push for fresh peace talks between the government and Maoists to end a bloody communist insurgency in the kingdom. HURON president Sudip Pathak, President of the Nepal Bar Association Sindhu Nath Pyakurel and journalist Malla K. Sundar are members of the team…
nepalnews.com br March19
Here again,
The Nepalnews has the same information as Kantipur Online on this news. At least, Kantipur journalists must have attended the press meet to gather information but what about Nepalnews? The latter must have done a little desktop reporting collecting information from various newspapers including Kantipur Online. That’s fine. But, hey, isn’t it a little ethical to mention your source instead of mentioning just “sources said”, “officials said”, “reports said” as what Nepalnews usually does?
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| Say What? |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 02:38 PM
Hey RAt-at-Tat, Jezzz! dumb ass you're so screwed up. That was a bummer yo. It's a news not some paper or article. Yo twanker u should see the news more often. News cannot be plagiarised... its just the fact. So more than one newspaper or programs can have the same news in different style. Go and read what actually " Plagiarism" means. So, stop ya crap and try not to start this kinda unwizzy discussion again.
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| uks |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 02:52 PM
I also don't think the charges you labelled constitute plagiarism (sp?). Afterall, news are not supposed to be original!!!
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| walter |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 03:08 PM
I have always suspected that Nepalnews.com indulges in "copy and paste."
That said, both the sides are good at posting analysis free news (albeit the same) and seems to have a vocabulary of maybe a hundred words... Just the way I like it.
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| loverboy |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 05:05 PM
Hey say what?
you nepali black man...
I think the Rat-a-tat has a valid question. MR/Mrs or it Rat-a-tat, Nepalnews.com pays Kantipur and other publications on an annual basis. Thus more than plgiarism it's just a copy and paste mechanism from the orginal KOL reporter to Nepalnews.com webmaster.
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 05:16 PM
I think this question surfaced here before again.
Why would nepalnews.com do that? It is true that a lot of times, it is just reporting
what kantipur just reported. But unless there is any solid proof, since news is news
afterall, to prove nepalnews.com's 'culpability' in this case is tough.
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| S Kumar |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 06:28 PM
This claim is totally ridiculous.
Consider this, most of the news about the Maoist is first broadcast by Radio Nepal and Nepal Television who get it from the Government (official defense sources). Most the media outlets, including Nepalnews and Kantipur get their (maoist) news from these sources and then put it out. So Kantipur's claim is totally ridiculous. Kantipur is seldom the first with such news. News has to originate somewhere, media only report it. (maybe Kantipur generates its own news ... just kidding)
Consider this. A lot of what appears in Kantipur Online has already reported in most media outlets, large and small, before you see it on Kantipur Online. Is Kantipur plagarizing?
SK
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| DSharma |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 06:32 PM
As far as I know, KOL wants to be the first in news broadcasting. More often than not, KOL does have unconfirmed and, sometimes, inaccurate news. Nepalnews, on the other hand, run by an established communication company wants it to be accurate and is generally slower than KOL in publishing the news on the web. But, they always have confirmed news pieces and follow the professional methods. They confirm any news before putting up on the web.
This is my belief though and I may be wrong.
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| Astha |
Posted
on 20-Mar-02 07:00 PM
Take a look at the headlines of Kantipur Online's front page:
"Two security personnel die in blast
Army guns down 25 Maoists, 1 arrested in Kailali
Deuba leaves for India visit
Maoists looted Rs. 5.5 million from Kailali bank, details
Amnesty slams Govt, Maoists for rights violation
Two Sub-Inspectors among those killed in Kailali
Heavy Maoists casualty feared in Kailali
Seven policemen killed as Maoists attack Kailali"
ALL the above have been reported by other media outlets before they appeared on Kantipur's web page (a few of them on Nepalnews itself!). It is Kantipur which is doing a "cut and paste"!!!!!! Does Kantipur own these stories? Where did they get them from?
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| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 22-Mar-02 01:38 PM
Dear all,
Thank you so much for your responses. I do hope these discussions are mailed to proper authorities at Mercantile, Nepalnews, Himal Media as well as Kantipur Online so that they can analyze their working styles and initiate appropriate measures wherever they own up their own mistakes.
Say What? and uks: Yes, news cannot be plagiarized. However, even stealing information from other news agencies and making it look originally like yours, plus without giving credit to the original information obtainer, is also plagiarism. I stand by my point.
walter: Thanks for confirming my suspicion that Nepalnews does indulge in “copy and paste”.
loverboy: As far as I know, Mercantile has only paid to place Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post from Kantipur Publications (Please confirm with Kantipur authorities if I missed any) on Nepalnews, that too by giving proper credit to the Publications. Hence, KOL isn’t included in the package and yet the copy paste mechanism is being followed. In other cases, even when the news are taken from other publications on Nepalnews, the news desk still does not divulge the source.
Biswo: I agree with you. This question has indeed surfaced here before. However, we should maintain that to build up credibility and authenticity of news on the web, especially when it is usually the only source of news to obtain from back home for hundreds of Nepalese abroad.
S Kumar, Dsharma and Astha: As far as I know, some of the Maoist news are broadcast even earlier than Radio Nepal and Nepal Television on Kantipur, especially on their Kantipur FM and Kantipur Online. So did it happen when Maoists attacked Dang, Achham, Salyan and so on.
Yes, news has to appear somewhere and media only reports it. However, proper credit also has to be provided to journalists who have taken much pain to obtain the information first as well as in a better way. Still on Dsharma’s claim, I still feel, KOL news are more credible than Nepalnews despite their coverage being very fast. But that is a personal opinion and you are free to think as you please.
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| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 22-Mar-02 01:48 PM
Please find below, more proof on Nepalnews coverage of events. Just wish someone would forward all these to the “plagiarists.”
EXAMPLE ONE:
Nepal, India to fight terrorism
Nepal and India agreed Thursday to jointly combat cross-border terrorism. The issue figured in talks between Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other senior leaders in New Delhi. "The Nepalese prime minister thanked the Indian government for its help to deal with terrorism and both sides agreed to deal jointly with terrorism, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Nirupama Rao said the Deuba Vajpayee talks… nepalnews.com br March 22
Here,
The entire news does not mention the source of this news and yet has Nirupama Rao speaking in New Delhi. Are any of the Nepalnews journalists, including Bhola Rana (br) who’s written this news, in New Delhi? NO. The news was definitely picked up from Indian newspapers online. Isn’t it basic journalism ethics to mention the source of the news when writing in any media? YES.
EXAMPLE TWO:
(a) Four trucks carrying illegal fertilizer intercepted
The army patrol intercepted four trucks carrying 840 bags of fertilizer that was being brought from India through the Mahespur border point in Nawalparasi district by evading the customs, security sources said… nepalnews.com, am Mar 22
(b) Corruption charge filed against Minister Wagle
A corruption charge was filed against Minister for Works and Physical Planning Chiranjibi Wagle at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Thursday, CIAA sources said… nepalnews.com, am Mar 22
(c) Impeachment Bill Registered
The government separately registered the Bill to empower the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) and the Impeachment Bill in the parliament secretariat Thursday, parliament sources said… nepalnews.com, am Mar 22
(d) Nepal-India sign deal on science and technology
Minister of State for Science and Technology Bhakta Bahadur Balayar and his Indian counterpart Bachhi Singh Rawat signed an agreement on Science and Technology on behalf of their respective governments at the Hyderabad House Thursday, official sources said… nepalnews.com am Mar 22
Here,
All the above news were run by almost all the major dailies, including Kantipur, The Kathmandu Post, Samacharpatra, Rajdhani, Himalaya Times and so on, on the morning of March 22 - most of them quoting proper authorities “on quote”.
Still, what’s wrong with the above Nepalnews news?
The same news have appeared on the afternoon of March 22 quoting them as “security sources”, “CIAA sources”, “parliament sources” and “official sources” - all set to look as if they are all originally written by Nepalnews journalists themselves. However, all the information on the above news has been lifted from the daily papers itself.
EXAMPLE THREE:
Five gangsters killed
Police shot dead five gangsters at Chorni village in Parsa district at dawn Friday, Radio Nepal said quoting district officials… nepalnews.com br March 22
Here,
Now that’s what news should be like in Nepalnews. Finally, they have quoted district officials as saying via Radio Nepal. Plus, the source of their “desktop reporting” has been clearly mentioned.
Furthermore, forums and discussions, like GBNC, on the net are supposed to openly publicize the faults of the Nepalese media and help them improve the quality and authenticity of news on Nepalis media – more precisely, the Online Media that is proved to be a boon to most Nepalis in the United States.
|
| villageVoice |
Posted
on 23-Mar-02 08:46 AM
Ashutosh, your silence on this issue is defeaning ... Why, you made so much noise, and correctly so, when one Kathmandu Post staffer (who by the way has quit now) was involved in plagiarizing?
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| ashu |
Posted
on 23-Mar-02 07:30 PM
Village Voice,
I am studying this issue -- quietly.
Meantime, I have forwarded this whole thread to some at nepalnews.com
Hopefully, they will come here and respond to these charges in their own
words.
Let us see.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| rashmi |
Posted
on 24-Mar-02 01:56 AM
well ......i do agree with u. news is something that happens.......it does'nt chage.if two hippos r to be added to the national zoo,it has to be two hippos......some other media cannot have it as rhinos just bcoz they want to avoid plagiarism. the accuser do not seem to know much about the real meaning of the word that s/he has used. this is nothing but an evidence of jealousy.the fact that nepalnews is gaining popularity and is the site often visited has made some journalist of kantipuronline go green with envy.am i wrong?
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| raksha |
Posted
on 24-Mar-02 02:18 AM
hey chuckle -headed fella,
how stupid of you to accuse a reputed online media with charges of plagiarism. news is something that cannot be copied for they bear the same content. plagiarism is to copy somebody else's ideas n views OR you mean to say that all the news carried out by the people of kantipuronline is not authentic but their personal views. this topic of plagiarism is getting undue popularity.what suprises me more is the so called journalists of kantipuronline who prefer to call themselves 'JOURNALISTS OF SUBSTANCE' do not leave even fail to accuse others for the sake of gaining attention. its high time that the journalist of kantipuronline give their heart and soul to make thier online news service better(mind you .....i am talking about the english used. its simply pathetic),instead of worrying what others do.
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| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 24-Mar-02 12:09 PM
Dear Rashmi and Raksha,
"the accuser do not seem to know much about the real meaning of the word that s/he has used. this is nothing but an evidence of jealousy.the fact that nepalnews is gaining popularity and is the site often visited has made some journalist of kantipuronline go green with envy.am i wrong?"
ANS:Please read my last two postings properly before making such allegation again. I'll write down the key points for your easy understanding...
YES, NEWS CANNOT BE PLAGIARIZED. HOWEVER, EVEN STEALING INFORMATION FROM OTHER NEWS AGENCIES AND MAKING IT LOOK ORIGINALLY LIKE YOURS, PLUS WITHOUT GIVING CREDIT TO THE ORIGINAL INFORMATION OBTAINER, IS ALSO PLAGIARISM.
Please see the Nepalnews news "Nepal, India to fight terrorism" for a clear example.
ONCE AGAIN, I STAND BY MY POINT.
"...what suprises me more is the so called journalists of kantipuronline who prefer to call themselves 'JOURNALISTS OF SUBSTANCE' do not leave even fail to accuse others for the sake of gaining attention. its high time that the journalist of kantipuronline give their heart and soul to make thier online news service better(mind you .....i am talking about the english used. its simply pathetic),instead of worrying what others do."
ANS: I don't think any of us here have any selfish intensions here and neither do I by saying Nepalnews practises plagiarism. If KOL does it, then it should appear here too. I have nothing to gain or loose coz I do not own Kantipur neither Mercantile or Himal Media.
To add to that, if you feel Kantipur has poor language, feel free to express your opinions freely BUT WITH SOLID PROOF. I hope it'll help the Nepalese media to perform better and that should be our intention.
Also, once again, Forums and discussions, like GBNC, on the net are supposed to openly publicize the faults of the Nepalese media and help them improve the quality and authenticity of news on Nepalis media – more precisely, the Online Media that is proved to be a boon to most Nepalis in the United States.
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| villageVoice |
Posted
on 24-Mar-02 12:25 PM
Ashu, tks. that makes my day !!! Will remind you if you get lost, though. :)
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| suman pradhan |
Posted
on 24-Mar-02 09:01 PM
I think Rat-A-Tat, whoever he/she is, has a point on this issue here. But before I get into that, let me declare my interest here - I helped lead a team of able journalists to construct and run kantipuronline.com in its initial year.
That said, I now think that some people participating here, like rashmi and rakshya, are misunderstanding what rat-a-tat is saying. while news cannot be plagiarized, the language - how it is written and displayed - can. I do not know whether nepalnews.com lifts whole paras from kantipuonline's reports, but if they do as rat-a-tat contends, then that IS plagiarism.
we have had quite a lengthy and I must say a very fruitful discussion on this website about plagiarism. As someone associated with The kathmandu Post and Kantipuronline, I ask readers here to judge us and everyone else by the same standards.
Yes, I would want to hear more on this from posters such as Ashu and village voice. pls continue the discussion.
cheers
suman
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| An Indun Poet |
Posted
on 24-Mar-02 09:31 PM
rashmi and raksha are one person. some people just can't write with one nick. they think by writing with two nicks, people will believe them more. Thanks to unique IDs. As said before, don't come up with the lame excuse of sharing a computer-- heard that too many times.
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| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 27-Mar-02 12:06 PM
If you've ever noticed in the recent days, Nepalnews has finally starting quoting the source of most of their news. In those not quoted, it is usually the news written by br (Bhola Rana, the former VOA correspondent and so-called senior journalist). Please see one example below.
Be it with the outcome of this discussion or not, we have to take pride that something good is eventually happening in the Nepalese On-line media.
EXAMPLE:
78 agents to handle Chinese tourists
The government Tuesday listed 78 from among 109 applicant travel agencies to handle Chinese tourists. "They have been given 10 days to present bank guarantee of Rs.500, 000.Their names will then be forwarded to the Chinese government after which agencies from both the countries can establish direct business contacts," Joint Secretary Shanker Koirala at the Ministry of Tourism said. China has already authorized 67 agencies to sent tourists to Nepal.
China approved Nepal as a tourist destination for its citizens last year. nepalnews.com br March 27
Here,
This same news had appeared in the morning of March 27 on two national dailies, I think Rajdhani and The Kathmandu Post quoting Shanker Koirala. The news even had by-lines proving that the reporters of those dailies must have worked hard with their own efforts to get the information.
Now, the same news has appeared on Nepalnews on the afternoon of March 27 and without divulging the source. And, here it goes, it's written by Bhola Rana again.
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| Biswo |
Posted
on 27-Mar-02 06:44 PM
Frankly, I have lost interest in nepalnews.com news. The charge of their lifting
news from other sources appears to be true. They, if Ashu is to be believed, don't
even want to defend the charges. (They know that people are accusing them of
plagiarism!)
The leverage nepalnews.com now has is because of their rich collection of private
newspapers. I really don't think people think that high of their news. But , like I
said before, it is not very easy to prove their culpability.
But, I don't understand why nepalnews.com doesn't want to give credit to the
kantipuronline or other sources from where it lifts its news? It won't harm it, and
it will be so good for everyone.
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| ashu |
Posted
on 27-Mar-02 08:23 PM
Well, it's been a few days, and nepalnews.com seems to be "kaan ma tel haa.lay ra basay.ko" re: these charges of plagiarism.
One thing is certain: Nepalnews.com does NOT have a group of journalists going out to dig up ORIGINAL news for the site. Hence, logistically, it has to rely
on others' work for the content.
In view of its silence, what do you guys say?
Kathmandu Post and Kantipur, for instance, could well have their own dynamic
and custom-made Web sites, and ditch Nepalnews altogether.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 03-Apr-02 11:59 AM
Look at Nepalnews, it’s become a laughing stock:
Maoists torch two buses
Maoists torched two passenger buses at Baunia in Kailali district after holding them up on a busy highway at 2.30 PM Wednesday, “security officials said.”…
Roadblocks set up by rebels in neighbouring Kavre and Sindhupalchowk Wednesday prevented the movement of vehicles between the capital and the eastern districts, “transporters said.”
Panchthar district headquarters was plunged into darkness Tuesday after rebels bombed a mini-hydel power plant, “residents said.” Insurgents Tuesday disrupted drinking water supply to Dailekh district headquarters after damaging pipes supplying potable water to residents, “officials said.”
No incident on second day of SLC examinations
The second day of school leaving certificate examinations nation-wide went off without any incident Wednesday, “officials said.”… nepalnews.com br April 3
WHAT'S THERE?
- “security officials said”; “transporters said”; “residents said”; “officials said”… And all these news appeared on the night of April 3, 2002 – while Kantipur Online had them all by the afternoon. Hey, and as usual, the information is no different and neither is there any additional information too. In one place, it even quotes residents in Panchthar making me wonder if this bunch of Mercantile plagiarists had actually visited Panchthar to write this report. I wonder how Nepalnews would be if Kantipur Online never existed.
So, is the case of am who is usually writing news in the morning lifting it from various English dailies without giving any credit at all.
But you know, one suggestion I can give to Nepalnews is to give the headlines and direct links to their actual news sources such as Kantipur Online, in many cases, instead of just stealing them. It would make your job real easier also. Anyway, nice job rehashing others’ news and making them look originally like yours Mr. Bhola Rana (br), the drunkard plagiarist!
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| villageVoice1 |
Posted
on 05-Apr-02 12:34 PM
This is no brainer.
While Kantipuronlie can tap on its reporters (from sister publicaitons' Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post, and Kantipur FM ) in almost every district in the country, not to talk of dozens of them in Kathmandu, it would be interesting if someone from Mercantile (owner Sanjeev Raj Bhandari is the partner of Himal Media, which publishes Himal and Nepali Times) came forward and told us who writes for Nepalnews from the outlying districts.
As far as I understand, Nepalnews has indugled in rampant plagiarizing. Either it has to start giving proper credit, or stop this dirty act altogether.
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| Mitra |
Posted
on 05-Apr-02 01:33 PM
I know a couple of journalists who distribute their same news to different newspapers. Is there a limit for them to distribute ONLY certain copies of the same news? I've seen some news in nepalnews.com that is not published in kantipuronline.com. So, it's not always copy & paste from kantipuronline. There may be some journalists who work for someone and are illegally distributing the same news to others to get some chicken-change.
Is it wrong to get news by illegal means? Is it worng to distribute same news to different papers? I don't know, but I'd like to know. As a consumer, i'm not complaining.... especially when one site goes down, i depend on the other.
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| Mitra |
Posted
on 05-Apr-02 02:02 PM
In another note, nepalenws.com first started hosting kantipur/ktmpost news online. In fact, they are still hosting it even after kantipur publications have it's own domain/server. It seems they must have some kind of understanding to publish it in two different places. If they can copy/host the whole news, why can't they copy the headlines news?
If nepalnews.com doesn't give clarification then kantipur publication could step up. otherwise, I would assume they are not concerned about it... which is fine by me.
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| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 09-Apr-02 12:26 PM
First you have to see this,
The original press release distributed by ADB at http://www.abd.org/Documents/Books/ADO/2002/default.asp.
Then read the news on Nepalnews pasted below. Most of the paragraphs are lifted as it is from the press release. I don’t know if this is a good practice or not in the media. But, as a reader, it sure does make me feel that journalists at Nepalnews are surely doing a lousy job. Plain – CUT AND PASTE, again!!!
And the news is written (correction, plainly typed) by a so-called very senior journalist who goes by the name of Bhola Rana (br). Can’t journalists at least put in at least some of their own efforts…What say you? Or are all media people in Nepal all like this...
ADB depicts grim picture
Nepal's economic growth is expected to decline to 3.5 percent in 2002 from 5 percent in 2001 because of the Maoist insurgency and a worsening security situation, the Asian Development Outlook 2002 (ADO) released by the Asian Development Bank said Tuesday.
Growth could recover to about 5 percent in 2003 if the security situation improves, the Bank said. Agricultural output weakened and tourism, manufacturing, and trade were adversely affected by the escalating insurgency and the deaths of members of the royal family in 2001.
ADO growth forecasts for 2002-2003 are based on assumptions that, in addition to an improved security situation, the global economic slowdown and the impact of September 11 events on the global economy will be modest and short-lived. The continued good performance of India's economy should also help Nepal.
Growth in the agriculture sector will decline to about 3 percent in 2002 from 4 percent in 2001 due to uneven monsoon rains. As manufacturing and tourism continue to suffer from the insurgency and external conditions, industry and service sectors are expected to grow at 3.5 percent in 2002
compared to 2.5 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively in 2001.
The renewal of the 1996 Nepal India Trade Treaty has ended the uncertainty surrounding exports to India. But new provisions in the Treaty require Nepal's industries to be more competitive to maintain export growth. Nepal will also be subject to a gradual removal of quotas in the United States as
part of the World Trade Organization's agreement on textiles and clothing.
There was a 47 percent underemployment rate coupled with a 7 percent urban jobless rate in 2001.
Domestic revenue collection recorded a 16 percent improvement in 2001 because of improved tax administration. Budget deficit widened to 4.2 percent of GDP in 2001 from 3.3 percent in 2000 due to higher spending on security together with a salary increase for the civil service and the implementation of a voluntary early retirement scheme.
Budget deficit is likely to widen to 6 percent of GDP in 2002 due to the downturn in the economy, fall in the growth of domestic revenue, and increased spending on security.
In 2001, Nepal experienced a sharp downturn in export growth, particularly of garments and woollen carpets. Imports also fell because of sagging demand for manufactured imports and raw materials.
Foreign aid dependence became more pronounced in 2001, with foreign loans and grants financing 58 percent of development expenditures-- an increase from the 47 percent on average over the previous five years.
External debt as a proportion of GDP declined to less than 47 percent. The debt service ratio fell, accounting for a manageable 3.9 percent of exports. nepalnews.com br April 9
|
| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 10-Apr-02 01:35 PM
See this,
Nepalnews report on April 9, Tuesday:
SLC examinations conclude
Nation-wide annual school leaving certificate (SLC) examinations concluded Tuesday. Altogether 250,000 plus students appeared for optional mathematics on the last day of the test.
The examinations were held this year amid fears that Maoists would mar the tests.
Rebels under pressure rescheduled a five-day continuous nation-wide strike coinciding with the examinations conducted under strict military protection this year. nepalnews.com br April 9.
Here,
The SLC Exams were over on April 9, Wednesday and not Tuesday. However, on Tuesday, Kantipur Online folks had a picture of exam officials taking the answer scripts to Sanothimi amid tight security. The picture must have confused Bhola Rana (br) and, in his usual plagiarism style, went on writing SLC exams conclude right on Tuesday. That, I hope, proves Nepalnews style of working and their credibility!
|
| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 16-Apr-02 03:26 PM
If you've noticed or not, most of the Maoist related news are once again been lifted and rehashed by Nepalnews from Kantipuronline ever since the attacks on Dang. Though Kantipuronline surely seems to have a great network of Kantipur district correspondents to get first hand information and their news are more faster and credible, Nepalnews still seems to be raping their intellectual property.
This has still not proved a shameful task for Nepalnews team, led by Bhola Rana (br) and sometimes Kunda Dixit (kd), and the herenious act is still being continued by the so-called news site despite much protests being raised here.
Here is another example:
This news below was carried only by Kantipur Publication daily papers, including Kantipuronline. Nepalnews has taken full advantage and rehashed the news with the same information making it look entirely like their own.
This news is written by am (whatever that initials stands for...). Once again, who's your "security source" am - Is it Kantipuronline as usual?
Two Maoist leaders arrested
Only a few days after the government made public the photos of the most wanted Maoist leaders, security personnel Saturday arrested Maoist leaders Rekha Sharma and her husband Krishna Dhoj Khadka from their rented flat in Dallu of Kathmandu, security sources said.
Sharma is the president of the All Nepal Women’s Association (Revolutionary), a sister organization of the underground Nepal Communist Party (Maoist). Both Sharma and her husband were launching operations inside the Kathmandu valley.
Sharma is also one of the members of the Peoples’ Government announced by the party just before the declaration of Emergency in the country.
Khadka is the former president of the Maoist affiliated All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union (revolutionary). Khadka along with central member of the NCP (Maoist) Rabindra Shrestha had been arrested four and half months ago but he had managed to escape.
Meanwhile media reports have stated that the Indian police has been raiding the homes of Nepalese in the bordering Uttar Pradesh State out of suspicion that the Maoists feeling the security personnel in Nepal could be taking refuge in those homes.
The Indian Police recently extradited eight Maoist rebels who were undergoing treatment in different nursing homes. The rebels were handed over to the police in Banke district of Nepal.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during his official visit to India weeks back had received assurance from the Indian Prime MInister that India would do everything possible to assist Nepal in its fight against the Maoist terrorists. nepalnews.com am Apr 16
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| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 29-Apr-02 01:24 PM
Here’s one funny headline caught on the copy cats Nepalnews.com recently:
Army withdraws from capital, other details
Army returned to barracks in the capital Saturday evening on the fifth and last day of a five-day nation-wide strike called by Maoists to commemorate the founding of the Nepal Communist party more than five decades ago… nepalnews.com br April 26
The headline makes it sound as if the army pushed off from Kathmandu to elsewhere after being defeated in a war. Can the Royal Nepal Army ever withdraw from the capital when at least half a dozen military barracks are located within the Valley?
Well, there was a follow up to that news from Bhola Rana (br) on April 29 though. Take a look at the headline:
Army back on capital’s streets …interesting!
In addition to the plagiarism, as usual, being carried out by Mercantile Communication’s Nepalnews.com and its so-called journalists, here’s a few more resent examples.
(a) Police constable nabbed for assisting Maoists
The security forces Sunday arrested police constable Kuber Khatri after getting the proof that he assisted the Maoists in the form of an informer to carry out the attack at the armed police outpost in Satbariya a fortnight back which had claimed the lives of 46 policemen including six civilians…
…Meanwhile, the army arrested two Maoist workers from Swayambhu Sunday. nepalnews.com am Apr 29
Only Kantipur Daily and Nepal Samacharpatra had carried the above news on the morning of April 29. Kantipur Online had reported the latter part. All the details are the same. And, as usual, Nepalnews team – this time the so-called journalist am, had made the news look entirely as theirs. Shame on you!
(b) Fighting in Khotang over, number of casualties yet to be confirmed
The clashes between the joint security forces and the Maoist rebels which started at 5:30 pm Saturday evening in the remote eastern district of Khotang went on for five hours and ended at 10:30 pm. Though initial reports said 18 Maoist were gunned down, the total figure of the casualties on the Maoist side has not been confirmed yet.
No casualties on the side of the security forces has been reported so far. The police said that a team has been sent to Khotang to find the details of the incident. nepalnews.com am Apr 28
It’s the so-called journalist am and one of the recently booming plagiarist in the Nepalnews again. Kantipur Online and Kantipur FM broke this news Saturday evening. Now, all the details are the same and yet no attributes are given. Plagiarists adopting face saving measures with their cheating again. And, what a way to steal!
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| mugget |
Posted
on 29-Apr-02 03:04 PM
I have been long aware of the plagiarism of nepalnews.com and am glad someone is finally bringing it up. I am an American by the way! This winter, I wrote nepalnews to inform them that a Nepali was in the winter Olympics (Jai Khadka). Lo and behold, the next day my EXACT words were printed on nepalnews. That was the first time. I wrote the editor to ask if it was their usual practice to steal someone else's words, but never received a reply. Not long after, I again informed nepalnews about Maile Lama, who won the Reebok Human Rights Award this year for her work helping young girls get out of prostitution in Bombay. She was presented the award in Salt Lake City by the actor Robert Redford. Again, the next day, my writing, word for word, appeared with no credit given to me. I wrote Nepalnews again, and they still have not had the decency to reply. Plagiarism is not a joke, and nepalnews gives a bad name to decent journalism in Nepal.
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| Rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 04-Jun-02 10:51 PM
If you're a follower of daily newspapers in Nepal as well as Mercantile Communication's famous Nepalnews.com where they claim 7.3 million visitors log on every year, you ought to notice this.
Nepalnews has run an article on King Gyanendra's interview to RSS and Nepal Television Wednesday morning. Now take a even closer look...Do you notice anything interesting?
Well, there seems to be the exact similarity of words and paragraphs lifted from the english copy of the RSS news that has appeared on the daily papers. However, as usual, no mention has been made of the source (in this case the RSS).
How can journalists like Bhola Rana and am, who's claimed to have written this piece of news item, get away with all this plagiarism?
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| rat-a-tat |
Posted
on 04-Jul-02 12:05 PM
Nepalnews goes here again...
King, Queen in Narayanhiti
Thirteen months after the June 1 Narayanhiti Royal Palace carnage, King Gyanendra and Queen Komal moved Wednesday to take up permanent residence at the Palace, sources close to the Palace said... nepalnews.com br July 4.
This piece of news has appeared only in today's issue of The Kathmandu Post, Kantipur Daily and Kantipur Online. It even has a by-line of Sharad Adhikari on Kantipur and all the major dailioes have missed it. Nepalnews later picked it up and all the information are the same as the news of Kantipur Publications. And Nepalnews still atibutes "sources close to the Place"...
Bhola Rana must be holding the coolest job on earth stealing news from all sources and making it look like his own on Nepalnews. Plus, most of the news in the morning are lifted from The Kathmandu Post as they are already written in English and he doesn't have to work on it much. Easy job eh - Nepalnews Plagiarist!
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