21st Century Media
New Frontiers, New Barriers
Ujjwal Acharya
Federation of Nepali Journalists

21st Century Media
• Communication platforms based on internet
• Personal, group, community and mass
communication through internet
• Social Media (blogs, photo-sharing, video sharing,
social networking and microblogging)
• Mobile devices for mass communication

Internet-based Media
• News website
o Normally website run by media organization, with or without print/radio/tv,
for news dissemination
• Blogs
o Normally individually run opinion-based diary
• Social Media
o Somewhat closed social networking (Facebook) / open microblogging
(Twitter)

Strengths of Internet Media
• Global reach
• Easy publication
• Interactivity
• Multimedia possibility
• Permanancy
• Timelessness
• Unlimited space

Weaknesses of Internet Media
• Information overload
• Accuracy
• Credibility
• Opinion-based
• Individual
• Manipulative

Changed Communication
• Source -> Message -> Channel -> Receiver
• Receivers were mostly inactive consumer of
information, rarely contribution to production
• On internet media, receivers no longer live; there
are just communicators/active audience
• No monopoly of handful of communicators
• We're in an age of information overload, and too much of
what we watch, hear and read is mistaken, deceitful or even
dangerous. Yet you and I can take control and make media
serve us by being active consumers and participants.
Dan Gillmor in Mediactive

Active Consumption of Information
• Internet is filled with thrashes – good information are
gold, has to be filtered
• Individual producers less likely to fulfill journalistic
procedure, principles or ethical standards
• Evaluation of information online
o Multiple sources
o Verification

Citizen Journalism
• “public playing an active role in the process of
collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating
news and information."
• Importance of citizen journalism
o As information source at crisis time
o As watchdog of mainstream media
• Derivatives of citizen journalism

Changing Journalism
• Internet affects journalism during
o Researching
o Reporting
o Verification
o Distribution
• “We can’t control future medium, thus we need to
specialize in good news storytelling.”

Legal Framework
• Freedom of Expression as Human Rights
o Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right
includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek,
receive and impart information and ideas through any media and
regardless of frontiers. (Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Constitutional Right
• Interim Constitution of Nepal 2007, Article 12, Clause
3 Sub-clause a:
o Every citizen shall have the following freedoms: freedom of opinion and
expression..
• Reasonable Restrictions
o Provided that nothing shall be deemed to prevent the making of laws to
impose reasonable restrictions on any act which may undermine the
sovereignty and integrity of Nepal, or which may jeopardize the
harmonious relations subsisting among the people of various castes, tribes,
religions or communities, or on any act of defamation, contempt of court
or incitement to an offence, or on any act which may be contrary to
decent public behaviour or morality.

FoE is not ABSOLUTE right
• Key rights as a platform to fight for other rights but
not absolute right as it clashes with other rights
o Right to live with dignity
o Right to privacy
o Other rights

Electronic Transaction Act
47. Publication of illegal materials in electronic form:
(1) If any person publishes or displays any material in
the electronic media including computer, internet
which are prohibited to publish or display by the
prevailing law or which may be contrary to the public
morality or decent behaviour or any types of materials
which may spread hate or jealousy against anyone or
which may jeopardize the harmonious relations
subsisting among the peoples of various castes, tribes
and communities shall be liable to the punishment
with the fine not exceeding One Hundred Thousand
Rupees or with the imprisonment not exceeding five
years or with both.

Ethics
• Libertarian vs Social Responsibility Theory
• No freedom is free!
• Self-control mechanism
• Ethical standards
o No news manipulation
o Truth
o No Conflict with Laws

Online Journalism Ethics
• All social and moral ethics apply
• All journalistic ethics apply
• Additions:
o No deletion
o Privacy issue
o Advertising issue
o Terms of Use

Thank you
Ujjwal.acharya@gmail.com
www.twitter.com/ujjwalacharya
www.nepalivoices.com