Media awarded

May 4, 2009Posted inMedia
14 different prizes were up for grabs during yesterday’s First Annual Media Awards. Of them, I was especially interested in seeing who would bag the prize for the best editorial of the year. Editorials, after all, are important: they express a newspaper’s stand or opinion on issues. And editorials are powerful: many readers, especially in rural Bhutan, accept, without any questions, the opinions expressed in the editorials as the truth.So who was awarded the prize? The prize was awarded to not one, not two, but three journalists representing the three main newspapers in our country – Kuensel, Bhutan Observer…

Government awards media awards

May 3, 2009Posted inMedia
Today, on World Press Freedom Day, our government organized the first Annual Media Awards. Yes: the government organized the event. This is good, but could also be dangerous.This is good because our government’s sponsorship of the annual media awards could be seen as support for the media. After all, the government is recognizing and rewarding the best in the media, in spite of the fact that, due to the nature of their jobs, those in the media regularly question, and sometimes even confront the government.This could be dangerous because the media should not allow the government to decide who…

Free media

April 17, 2009Posted inMedia
On Sunday, March 22, Bhutan Times reported: The most direct evidence of our new democratic freedom this past year is the ease with which the kingdom’s young media professionals can now get hold of government leadership including, even, the Prime Minister himself. Good.On Saturday, April 11, Kuensel reported: The prime minister said that the government respected the media. It had in no way hindered them. “The government lets media do what they’re supposed to be doing. People need to know the truth, both good and bad … We should be honest and we should reveal.” Very good.On Wednesday, April…

Opposing the oppostion

March 19, 2009Posted inEducation, Government, Media
My last entry made Di demand that the opposition leader oppose the government’s decision directly and firmly. This is what she said: “dear OL, are u not going to say anything to oppose this directly to the cabinet? this is wrong wrong wrong. this goes against every morals, values and ethics we have ever been taught. this is showing us that the people who are incapable and the least deserving get the best in life. It is a mockery to everything we have been taught is right. Do u not have duties and rights, as the opposition leader, to…

Free media’s ace

February 24, 2009Posted inGovernment, Media
The ministry of information and communications finally has a secretary. Dasho Kinley Dorji, the former Kuensel MD, assumed his new office this morning.Dasho Kinley, popularly called "Ace", has a big responsibility. On the one hand, as the champion of a free media, journalists will expect him to continue leading and defending our still nascent media.But as a government secretary, on the other hand, he will be expected to carry out the directives of the government, his political masters.I wish him Tashi Delek! I also wish him, and the press, good luck.Photo from www.kuenselonline.com

Not much to cover

January 7, 2009Posted inMedia
I have no problem that Bhutan Times featured me on its front page today. Frankly, I’m flattered. But everybody else should have a problem with that. The article is definitely not front page news. While some readers may find the opposition leader’s New Year resolutions interesting, they are of no national significance. Not the stuff that serious news papers would consider front page material. However, the deed, so to speak, has been done. So let’s have some fun. First, the photograph. I’ll buy lunch for the person who can tell me where it was taken. For obvious reasons, I…

Watching BBS

January 5, 2009Posted inMedia
Consider this: The BBS has already televised the prime minister’s speech during the National Day celebrations in Pema Gatshel on four different days – 23rd December, 25th December, 28th December and 31st December.Now consider this: The BBS has televised His Majesty the King’s address to the nation during the National Day celebrations in Thimphu only on one day – 17th December.

More pay hike talk

December 6, 2008Posted inGovernment, Media
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 packed with names, dates, places, amounts and important quotes. He seems to know too many details about the confidential debate that the government has been having on the pay hike issue.Our government is amazing. They’ve done it again. They’ve allowed classified government information to leak, including details of discussions in our highest decision making body, the Cabinet. Is classified information being leaked purposely? Or are they being stolen? If it’s the…