Kathmandu Nepal, April 25, 2011: The nation stunned with a question of media relevancy and its authenticity when one of the media hero Anuja Baniya turn out to be bogus. Anuja Baniya, a 22 years woman pulled the biggest gag in the nation when her so called story of retuning 9.1 million NRP with a diamond necklace proved to be fake. Kantipur Daily one of the most reputed and credited newspaper published the awaking news with the feature story of Anuja returning 9.1 million NRP and a diamond necklace to it’s rightfully owner and immediately she catapulted to fame. The media barked the news so much that even the President of Nepal Ram Baran Yadav, made a call to congratulate her in her most outstanding effort. Then suddenly the same media today (April 25, 2011) published the same news to be fake and published a sorry note.
The story started waning when it came to news that Lalit Basnet personal secretary of the President communicated with Chief District Officer (CDO) of Morang for verification of the story.
According to Kantipur News Daily’s article, Anuja Baniay allegedly found the bag full of money while she was travelling on April 7 on a bus and she returned the bag full of money to the right full owner Purushottam Pokharel on April 9 as the contact details were present inside. The story further highlights Pokharel to have withdrawn, to purchase land for his daughter from IME, Itahari, and traveled to Dharan where he forgot the bag in the bus.
In investigation, the IME Itahari´s manager Darshan Shrestha, confirmed the branch has not released such sum since April 2. Pokharel, till date has not made himself public.
Now the question here is shouldn’t the newspaper have crossed checked the authenticity of the story. Just by publishing a sorry note will that be equivalent to face the relevancy of Media’s role and its morale issues. Publishing news with no investigation or authenticity is a question not just for the publication houses but isn’t it against the rule of mainstream journalism. In the midst of making cut throat competition where are the Medias’ of Nepal going. Thus should the public believe in breaking news like this certainly raises question against the ethics and morality of the role and prestige of Medias in Nepal.