1. Title of the Study: Social Responsibility Theory in
Nepali Context
2. Introduction
Historically, mass media have earned
its distinct respect and accolades for serving common people by informing and
protecting and also safeguarding their right to know. Journalism is termed as
the inseparable element of democratic society. The press plays a vital role in flourishing
democratic norms and values. Thus, it has been rewarded with the honorary title
of ‘Fourth Estate’ as well.
Winston Churchill said, “Journalism
is a guardian that never sleeps and protects freedom of the people” that
strongly suggested significance of media in society. Media has been the ‘voice
of voiceless’ and acts as a public ‘watchdog’. Media not only transfers the
information from government to public or vice-versa as a ‘bridge’, but also
provides an open platform for discussion on public issues. Besides, its
contribution in construction of democratic society, it has a business to
operate and money to earn for sustain in the society. During the era of ‘Yellow
Journalism’ media owners and practitioners ignored social obligations and waged
the ‘circulation war’. The ‘ill-practice’ of journalism, ignoring public voices
was soon criticized and a socially responsible press was sought after.
Time magazine owner and publisher
Henry Luce then provided money to establish an independent commission of
scholars, politicians, legal experts and social activists who would study the
role of press in U.S. society and make recommendations on how it should best operate
in support of democracy. The Hutchins Commission on Freedom of Press, named
after its chairperson, University of Chicago chancellor Robert Maynard
Hutchins, began its work in 1942 and, in 1947, produced its report, “The Social
Responsibility Theory of the Press” (Davis, 1990).
They synthesis of ideas put forward
in the Hutchins Commission report has become known as the Social Responsibility Theory of the Press (Siebert, Peterson, and
Schramm, 1956). It emphasized the need for an independent press that scrutinizes
other social institutions and provides objective, accurate news reports. The
most innovative feature of social responsibility theory was its call for media to
be responsible for fostering productive and creative “Great Communities.” It
said that media should do this by prioritizing cultural pluralism – by becoming
the voice of all the people – not just elite groups or groups that had dominated
national, regional, or local culture in the past (Baran and Davis, 2010).
However, role and functions of media
vary as per society where media exist. A set of theories known as ‘Normative
Theories’, express how the mass media "ought to or can be expected to
operate under a given set of conditions and values". They are formed based on to a particular form
of political theory or some set of politico - economic situations, which
reflect that different political systems and societies offer varied circumstances
for press and ultimately formulate a separate press theories. Four Press
Theories of Press – Authoritarian, Libertarian, Soviet-Communist and Social
Responsibility Theories propagated by three communication scholars –
Siebert, Peterson and Schramm in 1956 – can be
defined as the first attempt to theorize the normative role of media in a given
setting.
Social
Responsibility Theory asserts that media must remain free of governmental
control, but in exchange media must serve the public. The core assumptions of
this theory are a cross between libertarian principles of freedom and practical
admissions of the need for some form of control on the media (McQuail, 2010):
- Media should accept and fulfill certain obligations to the society.
- Media can meet these obligations by setting high standards of professionalism, truth, accuracy and objectivity.
- Media should be self-regulating with the framework of the law.
- Media should avoid disseminating material that might lead to crime, violence, or civil disorder or that might offend minority groups.
- The media as a whole should be pluralistic, reflect the diversity of the culture in which they operate, and give access to various points of view and rights of reply.
- The public has a right to expect high standards of performances, and official interventions can be justified to ensure the public good.
- Media professionals should be accountable to society as well as to their employers and the market.
3. Social Responsibility Theory in Nepalese Context
While other neighboring South-Asian
countries were already enjoying media, Nepal was struggling to overthrow the
autocratic Rana Regime. And, thus, owns a relatively short history of media. The
country had to endure 104 years long tyrannical regime before opening its arm
to the external world. Still, Nepal can boast a slightly more than a century
old history of news media, referring to the beginning of publication of Gorkhapatra, the first newspaper of the
country.
Credit goes to the first Rana Prime
Minister Jung Bahadur for bringing to the country its first printing press when
he returned from his visit to Britain and several countries in 1851, i.e. 400
years after Germany's Gutenberg first invented the printing press whose
duplications soon spread quickly all over Europe and other parts of the world.
The first newspaper in the country was Gorkhapatra (1901), a brainchild of Dev
Shamsher, who was regarded by many as the most liberal of Rana prime ministers.
It remained the country's only news publication for half a century till the
democratic revolution in 1951 ended the Rana oligarchy, heralding an era of
political reform and mass media. Scores of publications sprang up soon, not
only in Kathmandu but also elsewhere in the country (Kharel, 2010).
With the growing concentration of
private media along the favorable political system, social responsibility of
media has emerged as the issue for debate.
3.1 Nepali media and Social Obligations
If we trace back to the emergence of
media in our country, Nepali media have emerged out to fulfill its utmost responsibility
– to guarantee people’s right to freedom. Beginning of “Radio Prajatantra”,
later came to be known as “Radio Nepal” after the restoration of democracy in
1950, was started to bring people’s own system in the country – development.
Since then, Nepali media sector has been serving to strengthen and flourish
democratic norms and values in the country. Nepali media has not only joined
hands in overthrowing Ranas, but helped citizens their lost democracy in 1990
movement. The condition was not better than Rana Regime during King Gyanendra’s
autocratic rule. Despite unfavorable condition, leading print media and local
FM stations served as the effective means of bringing people to the streets and
ousting the 240 years long monarchy forever. It is largely due to media, the
country of 26 million people have become federal republic nation. Observing
media’s role in protecting people’s right, freedom and threat to personal life
and respect, we can say that Nepali media have been fulfilling its social
obligations.
Besides playing immense role in
every political turnover of the country, Nepali media have strongly advocated
for issues of public concern. Climate Change is one of them. Now, as the Nepal
is ranked fourth in terms of vulnerability of climate change, Nepali media have
constantly aware citizens about its impact and informed them on how to mitigate
them. Likewise, media have been constantly raising voice against cases of
violence against women, which was observed during Baluwatar sit-in campaign
known as #OccupyBaluwatar. Similarly, media have been the protector of human
right and have never turned a blind eye to human right violation issues. With
all these observations, we can claim that Nepali media have been firm while
performing its social responsibilities
3.2 Nepali Media Industry as public trust: Still a far cry
Once
Mahatma Gandhi said, “The sole aim of journalism is to service,” keeping aside
the money-making attitude of media and highlighting the role of media in
society. Still, media has dual roles – serve and sustain or earn money. Besides,
informing societies with the rights and wrongs of the society, media as an
industry has to operate, earn money and compete with its competitors in the
market, which is growing tough day by day.
The
media industries are just that, industries. They exist not only to entertain
and inform their audiences but also to make a profit for their owners and
shareholders (Baran, 2010).
What is the social responsibility of
a media company? Surely, to tell the truth. To accord people a general
expectation of privacy and dignity. To expose wrongs, but equally to allow that
no-one is perfect. To entertain, for sure, but also to inform. And also to
avoid conflicts of interest. (Baker, 2004).
Like
every other media operating under the sky, Nepali media has emerged as an
industry motivated to earn money. Except government owned media, existing media
are privately owned and also operated by unknown sources. As a result, the
content served by these media lack diversity and hardly against their owners
and advertisers.
Though
there is little evidence that advertisers or big business tell the newspapers
what to print, but clearly the media want to please those who support them. The
danger is that those who are poor or commoners will be cut out of the
communication process (Adhikary, 2006).
Thus,
despite enjoying the utmost freedom from state, Nepali media has not turned out
to be as a public trust, which is the prime ethos of the Hutchins Commission on
Freedom of Press.
3.3 Assessing the Degree of Truth, Objectivity, Fairness and
Relevance of Nepali Media
The foremost principle of journalism
is to impart timely, true, factual, unbiased information, maintain high sense
of fairness. Though, Nepali media have always stood by people’s right to
information and freedom of expression, during the course Nepali media are
criticized for doing partisan journalism. Like every other sector, politics have
penetrated in media as well, which is clearly reflecting through the media
outlets. “Mission Journalism” has always dominated the media industry and still
ruling directly or indirectly. Media organizations and media persons are blamed
for being politically biased. Some of them are serving political parties as if
they are their cadres. Connection to political parties, vested groups,
lobbyists, NGOs, INGOs and multinational companies expecting advertisements or
other perks is not new to media, which ultimately hampers people’s right to
know truth. Another aspect to be considered is the deliberate use of anonymous
sources in news only to harm someone’s personal and professional image. Producing
news based on half-cooked investigation or motivated by vested group is another
problem in the way to truthful journalism. Case of “Dil Shova” can be the best
example of influenced news that was against the principles of journalism.
3.4 Assessing the Status of Ethics in Nepali Media Industry
In
rejecting government control of media, social responsibility theory calls for
responsible, ethical industry operation, but it doesn't free audiences from
their responsibility. People must be sufficiently media literate to develop
firm yet reasonable expectations and judgments of media performances. But
ultimately it is practitioners, through the conduct of their duties who are
charged with operating in a manner that obviates the need for official
intrusions (Baran, 2010).
Nepal’s
Journalistic ethics has a history of four decades; the latest of which is
jointly issued by the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and PCN in 2003
and amended in 2008. The code of conduct asks journalists to protect and
promote press freedom, recognize human rights and international relations,
safeguard and enforce the right to information, impart true and factual information,
hold editorial freedom, recognize right to privacy, conduct high professional
practice, behave decently, be ready to rectify errors and be socially
responsible (KC, 2010).
However,
Nepali media are not professionally doing their work, following the ethics. Many
of them are unaware about these principles. Press Council Nepal collects
hundreds of complaints against media for violating ethics that clearly shows where
Nepali media stands. It also reflects that Nepali media are not practicing self-censorship
or self-control.
3.5 Qualified government intervention is essential
Structure
of ownership affects journalistic practices thus the implementation of code of
conduct. In Nepal, there are state-own media and private media. Among private
media, there are single venture, joint venture, and cooperative and community
media. Some media are even run by the support of donor agencies. Private media
owners have different interests-not always information dissemination. Social responsibility
should be the major motto of journalism but power centers, personal interest,
commercial interest and organizational interest dominate media (KC, 2010).
Though,
the number of media has increased significantly in the country, the content they
serve lacks diversity. Likewise, growing media concentration also threats
pluralism and suppress voices of minorities so government should intervene in
these circumstances.
The
government can take initiatives to encourage and promote diversity in media.
Information culture should be built. In Nepal, media enjoy liberty, i.e.
disseminating information on the strength of their alternative sources rather
than the state. The right to information is positive obligation of the state.
It should be ensured through legalization. The state should practise a positive
culture of information dissemination (Kharel, 2010).
***
(This paper was written as seminar paper for An Introduction to Mass Communication Theory - JMC 551 in First Semester of Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication of Tribhuwan University.)
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July 9, 2014
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P. 2010. A Study of Journalism.
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