Abstract
This thesis examines the practices of Nepali online media, arguing that they prioritize profit over truth, distorting information through sensationalism, decontextualization, and manipulation. Drawing on cultural studies and media theory, it analyzes media products as texts, revealing how clickbait, agenda-setting, and inadequate resources undermine credibility and public critical engagement. Despite positive contributions, such as challenging media monopolies and shaping public discourse, weak regulatory mechanisms and a profit-driven ethos exacerbate misinformation. The study calls for stronger oversight and ethical journalism to restore media integrity.
Keywords: Media practices, sensationalism, clickbait, agenda-setting, misinformation, Nepali online media, cultural studies
Introduction
In the digital age, Nepali online media have proliferated, shaping public opinion and daily life. With 1,756 registered online news portals as of 2019 (Press Council of Nepal), these platforms claim to deliver truth but often produce distorted, sensationalized content to maximize profit. This thesis argues that Nepali online media function as misleading businesses, prioritizing economic gain over accurate information dissemination, thus eroding public trust and critical responsiveness. Employing cultural studies frameworks, notably Johnson et al.’s concept of media products as texts (254), and drawing on scholars like Nick Davies and Neil Postman, this study analyzes media practices—sensationalism, decontextualization, and agenda-setting—to expose their societal impact. By examining specific examples, it evaluates whether these platforms serve as information providers or exploiters, advocating for stronger regulatory mechanisms to ensure ethical journalism.
Theoretical Framework
Johnson et al. argue that cultural products, including media practices, can be analyzed as texts to reveal their ideological underpinnings (254). This approach frames Nepali online media outputs—headlines, articles, and social media posts—as texts shaped by economic and political interests. Nick Davies’ concept of “churnalism” highlights how journalists, constrained by resources, recycle unverified content, producing “pseudo-facts” that distort reality (Flat Earth News). Similarly, Neil Postman’s notion of “adorned truths” critiques media’s tendency to sensationalize information to attract audiences (22–23). George Simmel’s theory of the “blasé attitude” further explains how information overload desensitizes audiences, reducing their capacity to engage critically (186). These frameworks guide the analysis of Nepali media’s profit-driven practices and their societal consequences.
The Rise and Impact of Nepali Online Media
Positive Contributions
Nepali online media have democratized information access, challenging the monopoly of traditional media houses like Kantipur and Annapurna Post. Platforms like setopati.com and onlinekhabar.com, with modest resources, engage large audiences and address issues often ignored by mainstream outlets (Dice 105). They have also shaped political discourse, notably by fostering public support for federalism and the abolition of the monarchy in 2008. These transformations highlight the potential of online media to amplify marginalized voices and diversify public narratives.
Challenges and Deviations
Despite these contributions, Nepali online media often deviate from journalistic integrity. Weak civil society and inadequate government oversight, as Tika R. Pradhan notes, enable unchecked misinformation (n. pag.). The absence of robust media laws, as Ujjwal Acharya observes, creates loopholes that hinder ethical practices (20). Consequently, media outlets prioritize profit through sensationalism, clickbait, and recycled content, undermining their credibility and societal role.
Key Practices of Nepali Online Media
Sensationalism and Clickbait
Nepali online media rely heavily on sensationalized headlines to drive traffic and revenue. Roy Greenslade notes that “bad news sells” because audiences are drawn to negativity (n. pag.). For instance, setopati.com’s article, “Another Maoist Will Come into Existence, There Will Be a Bigger Danger of War” (8 Feb. 2019), misrepresents Prachanda’s conditional speech by omitting context, exaggerating the threat to attract clicks. Similarly, thahakhabar.com’s title, “If Someone Thinks They Have Done Away with Maoists, It Will Be a Misfortune: Prachanda” (8 Feb. 2019), distorts the same event for virality. Such practices, termed “Ninja Turtle Syndrome” by Davies, involve publishing widely circulated stories regardless of merit to stay competitive (n. pag.).
A stark example is Suryodaya Post’s fabricated report, “Kathmandu Bound Airplane from Tumlintar Crashes: 10 Died and 7 Wounded,” which described a rescue drill as an actual crash. This deliberate misinformation, shared widely on social media, exemplifies how media exploit tragedies for profit, as evidenced by the 2.95 million search results for the Nirmala Pant case, with 22,900 from news portals alone.
Decontextualization and Distortion
Decontextualization amplifies sensationalism by detaching events from their context to maximize appeal. Ben Frampton argues that “stark, witty or intriguing” headlines draw readers (n. pag.). For example, setopati.com’s report, “The President Said Indicating Deuba: I Do Not Understand What Was Said” (20 Sept. 2019), misrepresents President Bhandari’s complaint about a technical glitch as a satire on Deuba’s speech. Such distortions prioritize clicks over accuracy, fostering public misunderstanding.
Churnalism and Plagiarism
Limited resources lead Nepali media to engage in “churnalism,” recycling content from international sources like Reuters or BBC without proper acknowledgment (Davies, n. pag.). This practice, evident in News24’s vague “according to international media” citations in its Syria photo feature (26 Feb. 2018), highlights journalistic inadequacy. Plagiarism, often unacknowledged, further erodes credibility, as media rely on internet-sourced content to fill pages, diluting local relevance.
Agenda-Setting and Omission
Nepali media frequently set agendas that align with owners’ interests, suppressing alternative viewpoints. Noam Chomsky argues that media, owned by the wealthy, prioritize content that serves elite interests (n. pag.). For instance, Kantipur’s edited article by Chetnath Acharya (26 Jan. 2019) omitted critical references to the Nepali Congress’s foreign policy errors, aligning with pro-Congress sentiments without the author’s consent, violating editorial ethics (Shipley, n. pag.). Similarly, the overhyped coverage of Govinda KC’s hunger strikes, quoting “pseudo-experts” like Sushila Karki while ignoring dissenters like Bhagawan Koirala, demonstrates selective reporting to push anti-government narratives (Levitin, n. pag.).
Monetization and Ethical Lapses
Online media generate revenue through platforms like Facebook Instant Articles, Google AdSense, and native marketing, with earnings tied to impressions and clicks. For example, setopati.com, producing 15 articles daily with 5,000 impressions each, could earn $81,000 annually from Instant Articles alone. However, media outlets rarely disclose these practices or share revenue with writers, reflecting a pro-rich bias (Johnson et al. 234). Articles like setopati.com’s “Sujal Fudsko Chocofun Rolls Bajarma” (n. pag.) function as advertisements disguised as news, inaccessible to less affluent contributors, reinforcing economic inequities.
Memory Hole and Lack of Archiving
Mark Dice’s concept of the “memory hole” describes how online media delete or alter content without trace, erasing accountability (n. pag.). Setopati’s non-functional search tab and lack of accessible archives exemplify this issue, allowing media to manipulate historical records. This practice, coupled with the deletion of comments on viral stories like News24’s Syria feature, undermines transparency and public discourse.
Societal Consequences
The cumulative effect of these practices is profound. Postman argues that an “information glut” trivializes public discourse, reducing political potency (68). Simmel’s “blasé attitude” explains how constant exposure to sensationalized negativity desensitizes audiences, fostering apathy (186). The Nirmala Pant case, hyped for virality, overshadowed other crimes like Shreya BK’s rape, skewing public attention and normalizing violence as “common sense” (Jeffries 50). This desensitization weakens civic engagement, as audiences lose the capacity to respond meaningfully to social issues.
Moreover, the media’s profit-driven model perpetuates misinformation, as seen in fabricated crash reports and distorted political coverage. Weak regulatory frameworks and civil society, as Pradhan notes, exacerbate these issues, allowing media to operate with impunity (n. pag.). The result is a public handicapped by subjective, manipulative information, undermining trust in journalism and democratic processes.
Recommendations
To address these challenges, Nepal must strengthen media oversight and ethical standards:
- Regulatory Reforms: Enact clear media laws to govern online platforms, closing loopholes identified by Acharya (20).
- Transparency: Mandate disclosure of revenue sources and editorial processes to enhance accountability.
- Capacity Building: Invest in training journalists to produce original, high-quality content, reducing reliance on churnalism.
- Public Awareness: Educate audiences to critically evaluate media, countering the effects of sensationalism and misinformation.
Conclusion
Nepali online media, while transformative in breaking media monopolies and shaping public discourse, have become misleading businesses driven by profit. Sensationalism, decontextualization, churnalism, and agenda-setting prioritize clicks over truth, eroding public trust and critical engagement. Drawing on cultural studies and media theory, this analysis reveals how these practices desensitize audiences and perpetuate misinformation, threatening democratic values. Stronger regulation, transparency, and ethical journalism are essential to restore the media’s role as a pillar of democracy, ensuring it serves the public rather than exploits it.
Works Cited
Acharya, Chetnath. “Tatopani Nakako Taptarya.” Facebook, 24 Nov. 2019, m.facebook.com/1716780900/posts/10205541139363973/.
—. “Tatopani Nakako Taptarya.” Kantipur, 26 Jan. 2019, ekantipur.com/bibidha/2019/01/26/154847019763772264.html.
Acharya, Ujjwal. Online Media in Nepal: Need for Policy Interventions. Alliance for Social Dialogue, 2012, www.researchgate.net/publication/311669738_Online_Media_in_Nepal_Need_for_Policy_Interventions/download.
Chomsky, Noam. “What Makes Mainstream Media Mainstream.” Chomsky.info, chomsky.info/199710__/.
Davies, Nick. Flat Earth News: An Award-Winning Reporter Exposes Falsehood, Distortion and Propaganda in the Global Media. Random House, 2011.
Dice, Mark. Big Brother: The Orwellian Nightmare Come True. Mark Dice, 2011.
Frampton, Ben. “Is Clickbait Changing Journalism?” BBC News, 14 Sept. 2015, www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-34213693.
Greenslade, Roy. “The Good News About Bad News – It Sells.” The Guardian, 31 May 2017, www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2007/sep/04/thegoodnewsaboutbadnewsi.
Jeffries, Lesley. Critical Stylistics: The Power of English. Macmillan, 2009.
Johnson, Richard, et al. The Practice of Cultural Studies. SAGE, 2004.
Levitin, Daniel J. The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload. Dutton, 2014.
—. “It’s Time to Stop Letting So-Called ‘Experts’ Comment on Subjects They Know Nothing About.” Quartz, 4 Apr. 2017, qz.com/949347/daniel-levitins-weaponized-lies-the-dangerous-rise-of-pseudo-experts/.
Pathak, Yug. “Nepali Media: Ek Samayik Dristi-2073.” Mangena, Fine Print, 2017, pp. 156–180.
Postman, Neil. Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. Penguin, 2006.
Pradhan, Tika R. “Where Has Nepal’s Once Active Civil Society Gone?” The Kathmandu Post, 25 May 2019, kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2019-05-25/where-has-nepals-once-active-civil-society-gone.html.
Press Council of Nepal. Registered Online Media. Press Council of Nepal, www.presscouncilnepal.org/np/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/regestered-online-media-1.pdf.
Shipley, David. “What We Talk About When We Talk About Editing.” The New York Times, 31 July 2005, www.nytimes.com/2005/07/31/opinion/what-we-talk-about-when-we-talk-about-editing.html.
Simmel, George. “Metropolis and Mental Life.” Modernism, edited by Michael H. Whitworth, John Wiley & Sons, 2008, pp. 182–190.
