Experts concern over watchdog role of the media, cyber misogyny
KATHMANDU/September 19: An international webinar on the topic ‘Communication in the New Decade – Mapping the Mega Trends’ was held on September 18 where experts discussed the ways digital spaces have shaped communication and the impact COVID-19 has had on this field.
The webinar, organized by the Public Relations Council of India (PRCI), was moderated by Prof. Dr. B.K. Ravi, Chairman of the Department of Communication of Bangalore University, India, and was attended by over 350 participants from South Asia and around the world.
From Nepal, Laxman Datt Pant, , Chairperson of Media Action Nepal (MAN), spoke in the program and shared his observations of the Nepali media sector. He talked about how media houses in the country seemed to have surrendered to the power centers under the pretext of business. He also expressed concern at how the news organizations appeared to be using the pandemic as a tool to bargain with the government authorities.
News organizations appeared to be using the pandemic as a tool to bargain with the government authorities.
“This has brought about a crisis of professionalism and is eroding the watchdog role of the media,” he said. Pant also shared the findings from the research “Misleading News in Media: A Study of Newspapers and Online News Portals of Nepal” conducted by MAN at the beginning of this year and drew attention to the growing problem of disinformation and infodemic in Asia and around the world.
Similarly, Kubashini Rama, Executive Director of Gender Links Cyrildene, South Africa, presented the discouraging state of gender parity in South African media and the alarming rise of cyber misogyny directed towards women journalists and media professionals.
The alarming rise of cyber misogyny directed towards women journalists and media professionals
Prof. Daya K. Thussu from the School of Communication of Hong Kong Baptist University Hong Kong shed light on how many of the internet and social media companies dominating digital infrastructure and governance today were based in the US and how American narratives and policies were controlling online communication around the world. However, he also noted the rise or rather ‘return’ of Asia in this field.
Internet and social media companies that dominate digital infrastructure and governance today were based in the US and American narratives and policies were controlling online communication around the world.
The webinar was organized as a part of the ongoing 15th Global Communication Conclave of PRCI.