Uncertainties Hovering Over Nepalese Scribes' Jobs

Nepalese journalist Dinesh Wagle says reporters have to fight for their rights and their livelihoods since the Feb. 1 coup

By Dinesh Wagle
AsiaMedia Contributing Writer

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

Kathmandu -- My reporter friend and fellow blogger at United We Blog! Deepak Adhikari often talks about those four years he spent serving burgers in a McDonald's café in Dubai. Sensing that his job at a Kathmandu weekly tabloid wouldn't help him earn the money that was needed for his changing lifestyle, Deepak, like many other Nepalese youth, opted instead for a stint in the Gulf nation of United Arab Emirates.

In 1998, at the age of 25, he went there, leaving a job of a reporter and, at times, the managing editor of the newspaper. Working at McDonald's, though, was definitely not his burger and fries. He returned to his former profession, to journalism. Nepal Weekly magazine, published by one of the richest media houses in Nepal, hired him. Now Deepak not only coordinates a popular column in the magazine, but also comes up with fantastic feature articles in almost every week.

Deepak and I are the products of journalism that flourished in the free environment of post-1990 democratic Nepal. The popular movement forced the then King Birendra to reinstate democracy in the country and hold parliamentary elections. The economy was opened up and new businesses started sprouting. The media sector was one of the most successful industries in the post-1990 Nepal.

So many newspapers appeared on the market giving jobs to thousands of youths who were fresh college graduates with journalism degrees. New newspapers were coming out, and our salary was being increased by the company as was our demand in competing newspapers. At one point, the intensity of demand of skilled manpower was in such a height that a reporter working for one newspaper today would be writing news for another newspaper the next day.

That was really good news for reporters like me and Deepak though I have to admit overall economy of the country wasn't doing particularly good because of the decade-long conflict. Still, there were hopes that would assure and encourage us that someday the situation would improve and we will be earning more and be able to afford that sleek laptop.

We both studied journalism in the same college (he was two academic years ahead of me) and wanted to make full time career in journalism. Our wishes were slowly being fulfilled in some way because both of us were, and as of now are still, working in the country's number one media house. But how long would our successes last?

This terrible question has been haunting us and many other Nepalese reporters ever since Feb. 1 in this ill-fated country. King Gyanendra appeared on national TV to announce the dismissal of the government. The King also imposed a state of emergency and censorship of the press, putting democracy on hold. Two weeks ago, when my maternal uncle arrived in my Kathmandu hut, his first question was, "Bhanja, I hope you are still working for Kantipur. I was really worried on that day [Feb. 1] about your job safety."

Now, it seems those laptops we were dreaming of have been pushed even further from our laps. Now, like my maternal uncle did, we are sensing that our job has been endangered by the royal move. At least one thousand journalists working for various FM stations have lost their jobs following the royal move because the new administration wouldn't let them broadcast news. Why would FM owners pay reporters who can't report the news? They were fired.

Several media houses are talking about further layoffs because, after the takeover, they haven't been allowed to write freely -- readers aren't buying their publications and because of this sudden decrease in their circulation, advertisers aren't willing to buy space at the same old rate. This chain effect from the royal takeover has significantly affected the earnings of not only the newspapers but also privately owned FM stations and TV networks. At least one newspaper in Kathmandu has temporarily closed down its printing operations outside the Kathmandu valley since the royal takeover.

Some papers are already cutting benefits like telephone and tea allowances and insurances being provided to the scribes. One prominent newspaper has stopped paying its reporters for their contributions to its features page and weekly supplement. Reporters are still not complaining, or rather they are happy that they still have job and the papers still pay them their basic salaries within the first week of every month.

To those reporters, the fact that they still have a job is a jolly good story because many other Kathmandu papers aren't even paying their staffs on time because of their declining economic situation. I have heard so many stories from my friends working at different newspapers; some say that they haven't been paid for as long as six months. I can see the pain in their eyes. Now the situation has worsened and I can't see the light even at the farthest point at the end of the tunnel. Only if democracy is restored could I generate some hope.

So, after 15 years of enjoying democracy and press freedom, this fight has again become the mission of Nepalese journalists. And this time around I am sure that journalists like Deepak and I have to fight the 'war' because we are the ones who will be suffering most if this situation continues.

And there are other, more personal reasons too. I opted for journalism despite my father's wishes. He wanted me to be a government employee but I always told him, "Look, I am doing what I enjoy doing and for that I get paid. Don't worry about my future." Now, since I myself am not sure about my future, my father has plenty of reason to be worried. And as for Deepak, he kicked that job at McDonald's because he wanted to restart his career in journalism with an energized spirit. He still has that spirit and we both are committed to use it for the best cause: freedom of press in Nepal.

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Dinesh Wagle is a reporter associated with Kantipur newspaper in Kathmandu and a blogger for United We Blog!

The views expressed above are those of the author and are not necessarily those of AsiaMedia or the UCLA Asia Institute.

Date Posted: 3/29/2005

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