KATHMANDU, JUL 01 -
The Internet may have reached only 18 percent of the Nepali population, but communication through social media has become indispensable in urban areas. The World Wide Web was abuzz on June 30 as netizens celebrated Social Media Day.
Launched by the US-based news website Mashable in 2010, celebrations were organised in over 500 locations across the globe, including Kathmandu, to mark this annual event. No longer just a networking tool, sites like Facebook and Twitter are at the forefront of a new wave of information-sharing that does not adhere to traditional standards of credibility and accountability, but instead promotes citizen journalism.
“The rise of social media has given a clear signal that mainstream journalism isn’t the only source for news,” said Deepak Bhattarai, senior producer at BBC Media Action.
The first wave of social media hit Nepal in the early 2000s with blogging, and has since gained widespread popularity through social networking sites as smartphones and the internet become more ubiquitous. Android phones are available in the market for as low as Rs 7,000 and come with pre-installed applications for Facebook and Twitter. Currently, there are approximately 1.6 million Facebook users in Nepal.
“There are many instances where information breaks earliest on Twitter,” said Deepak Adhikari, Nepal correspondent for the Agence France-Presse.
“Facebook is used to exchange personal information, while Twitter is often used by many to share interesting links and post political comments.”
News and images of the Seti flood in May first flashed on Twitter. It also saw heated political discussions on the eve of the CA deadline, when journalists and the public actively participated in debates.
However, many in the mainstream media are reluctant to embrace it. “Journalists are gatekeepers of information,” said a Kantipur TV journalist, noting the lack of accountability in social media. “They have to maintain credibility in their work.”
Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/2012/07/01/top-story/breaking-traditional-news-barriers/356412/
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