IHRICON
  Media Monitoring 2001-2003
IHRICON has been monitoring the top 11 daily newspapers and the 12 weekly newspapers of Nepal since 1st Jan 2001. The media monitoring activity has resulted in the production of a publication called Children in Armed Conflict. It was published in Nepalese print media from 1st Jan. 2001 to 31st December 2003. IHRICON has found that altogether 573 news items on the subject of children in Armed Conflict situations were published during the monitoring period. Almost 99% of the children in Armed Conflict related news was published in the daily newspapers and 1% was published in the weekly publications. In the area of the daily newspaper IHRICON has found that Kantipur National Daily takes the highest position in providing space for articles about children in Armed Conflict situations with this news occupying 25% of the total space of paper. In the same way, in area of the weekly newspapers Sahghu Weekly takes the highest position in providing space for articles about children in Armed Conflict situations with this news occupying 36% of the total space of paper. IHRICON monitors news which has been published in different print media and analyzes its impact from a human rights focus. The key outcomes of media monitoring are discussed through public hearings which are involve victims of human rights violations, policy planners, civil society organizations media and other concerned stakeholders. Organizing public hearings on various contemporary issues of public concern is one of the key activities of IHRICON. IHRICON has also been monitoring issues of women rights, children rights, conflict, corruption, Dalits rights and other burning social issues within Nepal. As part of the media monitoring news published in selected newspapers are collected and categorized under following issues:
  • Abduction
  • Education
  • Event
  • Health
  • Injury
  • Internal/External Displacement
  • Loss of Family Member Loss of Life
  • Rehabilitation
  • Child Rights
  • Child Soldier
  • Trauma/Torture
Twenty-nine newspapers (including daily, weekly and fortnightly papers) are examined and their content recorded with the objective of monitoring the quantity and quality of coverage of certain issues. The news is categorized according to its content, e.g. Child Abduction, Child loss, loss of family members, child rehabilitation, Displacement, Child rights, Child rights, child education, News on Child soldiers, Health, Injury and Psychological problems caused by Conflict, women's issues, children's issues, conflict, public health, good governance, Dalits etc. Regular evaluation reports are prepared, which include a set of recommendations on how to make the media more ethical, accountable and representative. The objective of this activity was to improve the quality of the news available to the public, to ensure that media devotes enough attention to issues that were important in upholding human rights, and to fully utilize the media's role as upholders of democracy and plurality Set out below are the types of media that has covered the news across Nepal:

Daily Newspapers (Nepali)
  • Annapurna Post, Gorkhapatra, Kantipur, Rajdhani, Samacharpatra, Space Times and Himalaya Times.
Daily Newspapers (English)
  • The Himalayan Times, Kathmandu Post, and The Rising Nepal.
Weekly Newspapers:
  • Sanghu, Nepali Times, , Hindu, Dristi, Deshantar, Bimarsha, Mahanagar, Tarun, Janaekata, People's Reviews, Dibya Darshan, Nishpachhya, Kasthamandap, Rastrabani, Khabarkagaj, Janaahawan, Janadesh.
    Total News items published between 2001 and 2003 are as follows:
Years No of News Published
Jan- Dec 200109
Jan-Dec 2002230
Jan-Dec 2003334