My post entitled “Playing the media” drew many responses. Two of them were from Tenzing Lamsang. In his first response, Tenzing argues that “sources” play an important role in revealing crucial information, often by taking great risks. He writes that: Investigative Journalism internationally has to rely on confidential sources and so is the case in Bhutan. In fact a good journalists job is to cultivate the right sources in the right places. We should salute these brave sources whose courage and conscience have helped to clean up society to some extent and also spread transparency. … The very lack…
Social media was the subject of Bhutan’s attention on two occasions last month. In one, the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy organized a conference to discuss “… the current social media scene in Bhutan and … how this can be used to benefit Bhutanese society.” The conference, which also provided “… a step by step guide to using Twitter and Facebook ...”, took place on 29th and 30th March. In the other, the government issued a circular pointing out that social media sites were “taking a toll on the productivity of the government machinery” and suggesting that social…
Back in 2008, Tenzing Lamsang, working with Kuensel at that time, wrote a series of stories about the impending pay hike for civil servants. His stories, based on information from unnamed “sources” in the government, added fuel to the wild rumors and speculation that were already rife throughout the country. The government was obviously leaking information to the media. And that, I felt, was dangerous. So I felt compelled to write: Kuensel’s Tenzing Lamsang is amazing. He’s done it again. He’s written yet another story almost entirely based on government “sources”. And he is thorough – his account is…
Friend or foe?
WikiLeaks: 38 of you said that WikiLeaks promotes transparency and accountability in government; 24 think that it threatens international relations and global security; and 6 readers either had made up their minds or didn’t know about WikiLeaks.
Thank you for taking the poll.
It’s important to think about WikiLeaks. And what the whistle-blowing phenomenon means for Bhutan. Drukpa, a monthly newsmagazine, asked me for my views and published them in their latest issue. My commentary in Drukpa follows:
Opinion over WikiLeaks is sharply divided. The whistle-blowing website has angered many governments. They claim that the indiscriminate release of secret information threatens international relations and global security. And they warn that it endangers the lives of innocent people. So they have aggressively sought to discredit WikiLeaks and its upstart founder, Julian Assange.
But others including journalists, activists and technologists, claim that WikiLeaks makes governments and corporations more transparent and accountable. They herald the organization as a champion of democracy and good government. And anonymous supporters of WikiLeaks have retaliated by attacking the websites of several agencies who have appeared to suppress the organization.
I sent two letters today. The first letter was to the Chief Election Commissioner informing him that the ECB’s recent decision to revise the criteria for candidates to local governments may violate provisions of the Constitution, Election Act and the Local Government Act. The second letter was to the Director of BICMA complaining that The Journalist had quoted me in their article when they hadn’t even interviewed me. And that, in that article, they had inaccurately claimed that I had supported the ECB’s decision.
Reporters Without Borders is a nongovernmental organization that fights for freedom of the press. Each year, Reporters Without Borders publishes the Press Freedom Index, an assessment and ranking of press freedom around the world. In 2003, Reporters Without Borders ranked Bhutan’s press freedom record at a miserable 157 of the 166 countries they studied. But since then, Bhutan’s record has improved consistently. In 2006 Bhutan was ranked 98 out of 168 countries. And for 2010, Bhutan is ranked 64 of 178 countries. 64th in the Press Freedom Index is not bad. We must protect our good record. And naturally,…
Finally! A magazine just for students! And about time too. After all, one in every three Bhutanese is a student. The magazine, Students’ Digest, a quarterly, was launched last month, befittingly on Children’s Day, the 11th of November. Students’ Digest is a rich compilation of educational material for students, and their teachers and parents. From news, views and interviews to scholarships, jobs and study tips the magazine offers knowledge, entertainment and counsel to its readers. I wish the Students’ Digest team well. Their success will be our students’ success.
Mega-leaks by WikiLeaks: First it was the Afghan War Diary. Then it was the Iraq War Logs. Now it is Secret US Embassy Cables. These and the thousands of other otherwise unpublished documents “leaked” by WikiLeaks have generated strong reactions both for and against the award wining, new media nonprofit organization. What do you think? Does WikiLeaks promote transparency and accountability in government? Or does WikiLeaks threaten international relations and global security? Please share your views. And take the poll.
I’ve walked out of the National Assembly hall on many occasions. Mostly, they have been to visit the men’s room. And occasionally, to retrieve documents or to consult experts on issues being discussed in the hall. But I’ve never walked out in protest. So I was surprised when, six months ago, Kuensel took note when I left my seat: The opposition leader left the hall before the end of the budget report discussions, which hurried to a close, once the chapter on the rationalisation of taxes was done with. And I was surprised when, ten days ago, Kuensel again…
The sixth session of the Parliament has concluded. And again, during this session too, the National Assembly did not allow its proceedings to be broadcast on live TV. But this time, the Assembly allowed the Question Hour discussions to be carried on live TV. That’s a slight improvement. And I welcome it. And hope that, from the next session on, BBS will once again be allowed to cover the National Assembly’s entire proceedings on live TV. On a related note, BBS’s own efforts at covering the Parliament’s discussions seem to have regressed. Till the last session, BBS would, after…
A cartoon dominated the front cover of today’s The Journalist. The caricature features a hooded hangman lighting the fuse on a stick of dynamite that will blow up four newspapers. Kuensel and Observer are shown applauding the hangman’s efforts, while the public watches the dangerous proceedings in complete indifference. So who is this hooded hangman?
The Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy and the BBS recently got together last week to organize a seminar on the nature and role of public service broadcasting in Bhutan. The two-day seminar, which was meant to discuss public service media and broadcasting in general, generated a good deal of attention on the way BBS is organized and run. Such scrutiny is good for BBS’s health. In fact, it is vital, especially if the Kingdom’s oldest and main broadcaster is to achieve its vision of becoming “A trusted public service broadcaster of international standing …” The BBS was delinked…
Do you like quizzes? If so, here's one. But it's open only to Kuensel journalists. Study the clip below from yesterday's Kuensel. Then choose the correct answer. How does the opposition leader, Tshering Tobgay, spell his name? Tshering Tobgye Tshering Tobgay Tshering Tobgyel Bonus points for spelling the other opposition party member's name correctly.
An excellent piece of investigative journalism, about Bhutan’s role in the Indian lottery scam, by Business Bhutan’s Tenzing Lamsang, that screams for answers.
Enough protection?
Last week, Parliament authorized the government to review the mandate of BBS. I’m against the government meddling in BBS’s affairs. But our lawmakers feel that the country’s only TV station is underperforming. And that the government should intervene to give BBS vision and the means to achieve that vision.
So what’s the first move that the government makes? It directs BBS to go 24/7. And it does so without consulting anyone in BBS. Our national broadcaster struggles to generate sufficient content for the five hours it goes on air each day, and the government, unilaterally, directs BBS to broadcast round the clock. This directive does not augur well for television in Bhutan.
BBS is essentially a non-commercial public service broadcaster. So the state should subsidize its operations. How much? That, the government should decide.
But the government should not interfere in how BBS is run. That is the job of the Managing Director and the Board of Directors – ultimately they are the ones responsible for ensuring that BBS is able to inform, educate and entertain our people, and for protecting its editorial independence.
And that, precisely, was the reason why BBS was delinked from the government in the first place. The Royal Kasho establishing BBS as an autonomous corporation was issued way back on 18 September 1992. But its message is timeless. In fact, it’s even more relevant today. So, to remind ourselves, I’m reproducing the translation of that Royal Kasho:
