Kathmandu Conference on Communication and Media kicks off

Kirtipur (Kathmandu), Dec 22: The Kathmandu Conference on Communication and Media has commenced here from today with the objective of holding intellectual debate on the possibilities and challenges seen in the mass media with the expanding use of and development of technology and the social media.

The two-day conference is jointly organized by the Tribhuvan University, Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Centre for Media Research Nepal. 

Participants will deliberate on more than a dozen working papers and research papers related to communication topics as the burgeoning flow of dis/mis information, use of social sites, media bias and media literacy, among others. 

Making a presentation on the key topic of the conference in the inaugural session, Prof P Kharel opined that matter how much well-equipped the journalists and the media have been with the advanced technologies, dissemination of news based on fair and factual reporting of the incidents is still challenging.  

"The concept of verification and re-verification of the truthfulness of any information received was there during the Buddha's time itself; but these days one can find a significant number of non-verified news in the media," he said. 

In addition to this, Prof Kharel said, there is utter lack of care and sensitivity that has to be adopted by the media while disseminating news on natural disaster or accidents. He underscored on the need of the 'legacy media' to update themselves owing to the digital technology.

Dr Kundan Aryal, Head of TU CDJMC, said that compared to the readers and audiences in the past the present day readers and audiences are very much active, and hence the need of well-edited and verified news content.  

According to him, the conference goal is to promote closer linkages between readers and audiences and the academic activities. 

Media educators, researchers and experts from Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are participating in the conference. (RSS)