No policy without us: Analysing multistakeholderism in the making of media policy drafts in Nepal | Intellect Skip to content
1981
Special Issue: ‘(Re)Iterations, Transgressions, Recognition: Politics and Practices of Media Policies in South Asia’
  • ISSN: 2516-3523
  • E-ISSN: 2516-3531

Abstract

Using the case of a project called Media for Peace (2010–13), funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and implemented by the Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC), Nepal, to revise media policies/laws and convert state-owned broadcasting into public service broadcasting, this article examines cultures of stakeholderism and the idea of stakeholder participation in the media policy process. It evaluates the idea of multistakeholderism critically. By analysing interviews, official documents and news reporting, the article shows that gradually a group of stakeholders, especially associations related to journalists, editors and media owners, became dominant in the post-conflict situation and political transition by using different strategies such as networking with each other, challenging, disowning and owning the policy process. This article argues that these stakeholders became dominant in the policy process by demanding for a mutistakeholder process and tried to influence the policy outcome by laying claim to the writing of the policy document.

Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1386/jdmp_00093_1
2022-03-01
2024-04-29
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Acharya, P.. ( 2013), The Making and Implementation of Media Policies in Nepal, Kathmandu:: Alliance for Social Dialogue;.
    [Google Scholar]
  2. Acharya, U.. ( 2012;), ‘ Media policy 2012: Bad timing. ’, Nepali Voices, 28 January, http://www.nepalivoices.com/nepalblog/2012/01/28/proposed-media-policy-bad-timing/. Accessed 30 June 2014.
    [Google Scholar]
  3. Adhikari, B.. ( 2009;), ‘ A history of Japanese official development assistance to Nepal. ’, Research on Contemporary Society, 4, pp. 7396.
    [Google Scholar]
  4. Anon. ( 2011a;), ‘ Sancharle Mahatwopurna Bhumika Khelnuparna. ’, Himalaya Times, 21 April, p. 2.
    [Google Scholar]
  5. Anon. ( 2011b;), ‘ Media laws should be revised, says Mahara. ’, Rising Nepal, 21 April, p. 1.
    [Google Scholar]
  6. Anon. ( 2012a;), ‘ Sanchar Niti Paribartan Bemausamko Baja. ’, Gorkhapatra, 20 January, p. 5.
    [Google Scholar]
  7. Anon. ( 2012b;), ‘ Media Niti Chhalphal Bahiskar. ’, Gorkhapatra, 20 January, p. 3.
    [Google Scholar]
  8. Anon. ( 2012c;), ‘ Sanchar Nitiko Jimma Bideshilai. ’, Budhabar, 11 January, p. 6.
    [Google Scholar]
  9. Anon. ( 2012d;), ‘ Proposed “Media Policy 2012” faulty. ’, New Paper, 9 January, p. 4.
    [Google Scholar]
  10. Anon. ( 2012e;), ‘ Bideshile Banayeko Sanchar Niti Nepali Sanchar Banda Garaune Tayari. ’, Nikas, 24 January, p. 1.
    [Google Scholar]
  11. Anon ( 2012f;), ‘ Bideshilai Sanchar Niti Banaune Thekka Aapatijanak. ’, Rajdhani, 9 January, pp. 12.
    [Google Scholar]
  12. Anon. ( 2012g;), ‘ Sanchar Niti ‘Bemawsamko Baja. ’, Suryadaya, 12 January, p. 4.
    [Google Scholar]
  13. Anon. ( 2012h;), ‘ Bideshi Sansthale Nepali Sanchar Niti Banauna Lagekoma Nemakipako Aapati. ’, Ujyaaloonline, http://m.ujyaaloonline.com/index.php?pageName=news_details&id=2664&catId=14. Accessed 28 June 2014.
    [Google Scholar]
  14. Baker, C. E.. ( 2006), Media Concentration and Democracy: Why Ownership Matters, Cambridge:: Cambridge University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  15. Brugha, R., and Varvasovszky, Z.. ( 2000;), ‘ Stakeholder analysis: A review. ’, Health Policy and Planning, 15:3, pp. 23946.
    [Google Scholar]
  16. Calton, J. M., and Kurland, N. B.. ( 1996;), ‘ A theory of stakeholder enabling: Giving voice to an emerging postmodern praxis of organizational discourse. ’, in D. Boje,, R. Gephart, and T. Thatchenkery. (eds), Postmodern Management and Organization Theory, Thousand Oaks, CA:: Sage;, pp. 15477.
    [Google Scholar]
  17. Cammaerts, B.. ( 2011;), ‘ Power dynamics in multistakeholder policy processes and intra-civil society networking. ’, in R. Mansell, and M. Raboy. (eds), The Handbook of Global Media and Communication Policy, Oxford:: Wiley Blackwell;, pp. 13147.
    [Google Scholar]
  18. Chakravartty, P.. ( 2006;), ‘ Who speaks for the governed? World summit on information society, civil society and the limits of “multistakeholderism”. ’, Economic and Political Weekly, 41:3, pp. 25057.
    [Google Scholar]
  19. Donders, K.,, Van den Bulck, H., and Raats, T.. ( 2019;), ‘ The politics of pleasing: A critical analysis of multistakeholderism in public service media policies in Flanders. ’, Media, Culture & Society, 41:3, pp. 34766.
    [Google Scholar]
  20. Flew, T., and Lim, T.. ( 2019;), ‘ Assessing policy I: Stakeholder analysis. ’, in H. Van den Bulck,, M. Puppis,, K. Donders, and L. Van Audenhove. (eds), The Palgrave Handbook of Methods for Media Policy Research, Basingstoke:: Palgrave Macmillan;, pp. 54155.
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Freedman, D.. ( 2006;), ‘ Dynamics of power in contemporary media policy-making. ’, Media, Culture & Society, 28:6, pp. 90723.
    [Google Scholar]
  22. Freedman, D.. ( 2008), The Politics of Media Policy, Cambridge, MA:: Polity Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Freedman, D.. ( 2015;), ‘ Media policy fetishism. ’, Critical Studies in Media Communication, 32:2, pp. 96111.
    [Google Scholar]
  24. Freeman, R. E.. ( 1984), Strategic Management: A Stakeholder Approach, Boston:: Pitman;.
    [Google Scholar]
  25. Friedman, A. L., and Miles, S.. ( 2006), Stakeholders: Theory and Practice, Oxford and New York:: Oxford University Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  26. Gaunle, S.,, Sharma, O.,, Sirohiya, K.,, Acharya, G.,, Nepal, J.,, Tripathi, D.,, Sharma, N.,, Dhakal, B.,, Bista, M.,, Chapagain, M.,, Timsina, Y.,, Manandhar, R., and Acharya, S.. ( 2013), Media Nititatha Kanun Parimarjan Paramarsha Samitiko Pratibedan 2070, unpublished report , MoIC;.
    [Google Scholar]
  27. Hemmati, M.. ( 2002), Multistakeholder Processes for Governance and Sustainability: Beyond Deadlock and Conflict, London:: Earthscan;.
    [Google Scholar]
  28. International Media Mission ( 2012), Safeguarding Media Rights and Ending Impunity, Copenhagen:: International Media Mission;.
    [Google Scholar]
  29. Jha, D.. ( 2012;), ‘ Prastabit Sancharniti Mediamathi Sarkari Niyantranko Soch. ’, Annapurna Post, 21 December, p. 5.
    [Google Scholar]
  30. JICA ( 2011;), ‘ The launch of Media for Peace (MeP) project promoting peace building and democratization. ’, JICA Nepal Office Quarterly Newsletter, 61, p. 4.
    [Google Scholar]
  31. JICA ( 2013;), ‘ Media policy draft discussion, Dissemination. ’, JICA Nepal Office Quarterly Newsletter, 68, p. 7.
    [Google Scholar]
  32. Kumar, B., and Ghimire, U.. ( 2012;), ‘ Speak your mind. ’, Kathmandu Post, 8 February, p. 6.
    [Google Scholar]
  33. Kumar, K.. ( 2006a), Promoting Independent Media: Strategies for Democracy Assistance, Boulder, CO:: Lynne Rienner Pub;.
    [Google Scholar]
  34. Kumar, K.. ( 2006b;), ‘ International assistance to promote independent media in transition and post-conflict societies. ’, Democratization, 13:4, pp. 65267.
    [Google Scholar]
  35. Maharjan, H. M.. ( 2014), Rethinking Public Welfare Advertisement in Nepal: From Media Welfare to Public Welfare, Kathmandu:: Alliance for Social Dialogue;.
    [Google Scholar]
  36. Miles, S.. ( 2012;), ‘ Stakeholder: Essentially contested or just confused?. ’, Journal of Business Ethics, 108:3, pp. 28598.
    [Google Scholar]
  37. Miles, S.. ( 2017;), ‘ Stakeholder theory classification: A theoretical and empirical evaluation of definitions. ’, Journal of Business Ethics, 142:3, pp. 43759.
    [Google Scholar]
  38. Ministry of Information and Communication (MoIC), Radio Nepal, Japan International Cooperation Agency and Yachiyo Engineering Co. Ltd ( 2010;), ‘ The project for promoting peace building and democratization through the capacity development of the media sector in Nepal. ’, inception report .
  39. MoIC ( 2012;), ‘ Media Policy, 2012. ’, unpublished draft .
  40. Myers, M.. ( 2009), Funding for Media Development by Major Donors Outside the United States, Washington, DC:: Center for International Media Assistance;.
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Nepal Government ( 2003;), ‘ Long-term policy of information and communication sector 2003. ’, https://nta.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Long-Term-Policy-of-Information-and-Communication-Sector-2059-_2003_.pdf. Accessed 24 December 2021.
  42. Nepal Monitor ( 2012;), ‘ Media policy 2012: Text of the controversial document. ’, 26 January, https://web.archive.org/web/20131127045530/http://www.nepalmonitor.com/2012/01/media_policy_2012_te.html. Accessed 24 December 2021.
  43. Padovani, C.. ( 2005;), ‘ WSIS and multistakeholderism. ’, in D. Stauffacher, and W. Kleinwachter. (eds), The World Summit on the Information Society: Moving from the Past into the Future, New York:: United Nations Information and Communication Technologies Task Force;, pp. 14755.
    [Google Scholar]
  44. Paterson, C.,, Gadzekpo, A., and Wasserman, H.. ( 2018;), ‘ Journalism and foreign aid in Africa. ’, African Journalism Studies, 39:2, pp.18.
    [Google Scholar]
  45. Price, M.. ( 2002), Mapping Media Assistance, Oxford:: University of Oxford Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  46. RSS ( 2011;), ‘ Develop RSS into Modern House. ’, Rising Nepal, 26 December, p. 3.
    [Google Scholar]
  47. RSS ( 2012;), ‘ Foreign country can’t make media policy: Minister Gupta. ’, Himalayan Times, 17 January, http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Foreign+country+cant+make+media+poli%3A+Minister+Gupta&NewsID=317533. Accessed 28 June 2014.
    [Google Scholar]
  48. RSS ( 2013;), ‘ New communications policy should not curtail press freedom. ’, Himalayan Times, 27 January, http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=New+communications+policy+should+not+curtail+press+freedom+&NewsID=363545. Accessed 27 June 2014.
    [Google Scholar]
  49. Sabatier, P. A.. ( 1988;), ‘ An advocacy coalition framework of policy change and the role of policy-oriented learning therein. ’, Policy Sciences, 21:2, pp. 12968.
    [Google Scholar]
  50. Savage, G. T.,, Nix, T. W.,, Whitehead, C. J., and Blair, J. B.. ( 1991;), ‘ Strategies for assessing and managing organizational stakeholders. ’, Academy of Management Perspectives, 5, pp. 6175.
    [Google Scholar]
  51. Siebert, F. S,, Peterson, T., and Schramm, W.. ( 1956), Four Theories of the Press, Urbana, IL and Chicag:: University of Illinois Press;.
    [Google Scholar]
  52. Takahashi, H.. ( 2016;), ‘ FY2016 ex-post evaluation of technical cooperation project. ’, https://www2.jica.go.jp/en/evaluation/pdf/2016_1000337_4_f.pdf. Accessed 16 November 2018.
  53. Van den Bulck, H.. ( 2019;), ‘ Analyzing policy-making I: Stakeholder and advocacy coalition framework analysis. ’, in H. Van den Bulck,, M. Puppis,, K. Donders, and L. Van Audenhove. (eds), The Palgrave Handbook of Methods for Media Policy Research, Basingstoke:: Palgrave Macmillan;, pp. 45169.
    [Google Scholar]
  54. Van den Bulck, H., and Donders, K.. ( 2014;), ‘ Analyzing European media policy: Stakeholders and advocacy coalitions. ’, in K. Donders,, C. Pauwels, and J. Loisen. (eds), The Palgrave Handbook of European Media Policy, Basingstoke:: Palgrave Macmillan;, pp. 1935.
    [Google Scholar]
  55. Wognruijra, M.. ( 2008;), ‘ Stakeholder analysis of communication policy reform in Thailand. ’, CPRSouth3: Conference on ‘Transformation Strategies for Telecom Operators’, Beijing University, Beijing, 5–7 December.
    [Google Scholar]
  56. Maharjan, Harsha Man. ( 2022;), ‘ No policy without us: Analysing multistakeholderism in the making of media policy drafts in Nepal. ’, Journal of Digital Media & Policy, 13:1, pp. 10719, https://doi.org/10.1386/jdmp_00093_1
    [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1386/jdmp_00093_1
Loading
This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a success
Invalid data
An error occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error