The Bhutan Media Society (BMS) has said it has initiated a donation drive involving resettled Bhutanese and well-wishers from March 8.
The collected donations will be used for effective operations of BMS and its associates, according to Society’s Manager Vidhyapati Mishra.
“It is a matter of pride for BMS and its affiliates are soon becoming community-based media. Several from the Bhutanese diaspora have been expressing their financial commitments to support survival of the Bhutanese media in exile. More helping hands are likely to join us very soon,” said Mishra in a circular, Thursday.
Last week, the Society made a circular among resettled Bhutanese informing them of possible shutdown of BMS and its associates from March 10, 2012. However, in no time, dozens of community members responded stating that they do not want to see the decade-long media history in exile dying in lack of operational budgets and even committed their financial supports.
“We are receiving a number of similar responses everyday. And, we are certain that this will go up in the days to come since even friends of BMS have already heard about our fate. They are, indeed, sad to know about this. Some of them have already declared their commitments,” added he.
According to Manager Mishra, direct supports from the community do expect professional content generations in return, for which the Society is committed.
He further said that friends and well-wishers want the media in exile to be more responsible, professional and strongly committed to information dissemination on time.
The Society has also asked every Bhutanese to be a part of the mission by extending helping hands to transform BMS into community-based media. “We even want to request our well-wishers and friends to make donations at will for our survival,” he added.
(Click here to submit your donations)
Meanwhile, BMS said it will shutdown all of its associate media from March 10 stating that development of a comprehensive news site would begin from the same day. However, Bhutan News Service will continue feeding news from www.bhutannewsservice.com until the new site becomes ready, which is expected by the end of March.
Editors, journos or whoever concerned,
BMS’s Existence is only possible when all of these ‘associates’ are closed and merged to the BNS/BMS under one canopy. Remember that too many ‘associate’ can create too many problems. Make all of these fit under one umbrella of BHUTANNEWSSERVICE.COM(can be BHUTANMEDIASOCIETY.COM blabla) and work.You will see the difference!!! Its going to be a great great site for the diaspora Bhutanese community.
Here are some of the reasons why I suggest and reiterate the same tone again and again:
1>>Cumbersome: Managing and running multiple sites with limited resource is xtremly problematic and, to be specific, its impossible in the long run. Costly!!
2>>ONE SITE/RICH SITE:
When these sites are merged under one roof it becomes a very big house physically with consolidated quality stuffs and then we can make the stuffs look organized and nice graphically, which not only allures more and more clickers,also encourages the folks to contribute for its success.Not only financial contribution will be enhanced but also is the fact that many new and amateur writers(like me)be encouraged to come up with new ideas and contribute.
3>>EASY BROWSE;
Users can stay in the same webpage to see the extensive detailed news, views, information, et al.They dont have to go to another site and see the other part of the news, for eg listen news @ radioBhutan,etc.
3>>MISUNDERSTANDING AMONG U:
As far as I have heard from some sources, these multiple sites of BMS has to some extent created confusion and misunderstanding among the journos or editorial members of the agency.
4>>GENERATE INCOME THRU ad:(?)
One of the reasons some folks run multiple sites is they want to generate more income from the advertisements published in their sites.But thats not applicable to us. We hardly click on any ads that can be helpful for the site’s longevity and existence.Had we have generated income, we wouldn’t have to be in this situation today.
5>>As a regular visitor,s/he wants something new at least every day in the site, we dont have that many events occurring daily that are worth publishing nor are there many more writers who come forward with some productive pieces worth publishing in the site. So,we have no choice than keep some stuff for months or are compelled to publsih the same news in all of these sites, this was the reason apfa carried the identical stuffs as BNS for a long time, which is a matter of boredom for the visitors.(And see!! radiobhutan is almost dead since Aug 02, 2011.
6>>Lets do this before its too late.
Note:Its better if any member of the editor would be able to comment on my statements;
Dear All,
This is matter of great concern to keep our best online media forever. It’s our responsibility to preserve and promote our online media -” Bhutan News Services”.
On behalf of Bhutanese Community in Nebraska (BCN)- I would like to declare that BCN will support BNS annually $100(Minimum).
I request every Bhutanese Community in USA and other countries to contribute Annually ,monthly or onetime support and make BNS a public online media for ever.
Thank You
Karna gurung.
Press &Publicity Secretary
Bhutanese Community in Nebraska (BCN)
It worth to support media than to donate for mushroom like political parties. Since today, only the media that cover all about Bhutanese is BNS. So, I would agree with welsher, that there need to be one, but viverent and powerful media to represent the voice of Bhutanese in diaspora and inside the country.
“Educate and inform the whole mass of the people. They are our only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.” Thomas Jefferson, U.S. president
Regards!
Puran Rai
Free journalism is not something to be taken for granted. By anyone. Free journalism for a people living in diaspora is most certainly essential to identity and is a bonding factor within such a community. Next to that well organized and structured independent free journalism is essential for global media to get or stay attached to the perils, challenges and successes of a community living in exile. And lastly that community needs regular quality news in text, picture, audio and video about their homeland and in the case of the Bhutanese also from the refugee camps where so many family and friends still reside.
When resettlement comes to an end in a couple of years that free press should still be around the remaining camps to saveguard the fate of the ones who do not resettle. Because otherwise the risc of them vanashing in history is enormous. They deserve continutous attention from the media to make their situation completely clear to the international community so that their interests are at least represented by that press. Because there is a big risk no one will be wittnessing unfolding events.
If and when strong local independent free media is active and well organized that media will become a voice of the people to be heard. Also by the international society and international media. That voice is by nature then a driving force behind correcting the unjustice that was and still is done in the homeland. So in the end the whole Buthanese people including the ones who still live in Bhutan will in the long run benefit. History has proven that uncovering the truth in the end changes society.
If every exiled Bhutanese would donate only 1 US Dollar then there would be no problem in organizing free Bhutanese press in Nepal for many years to come. So, if the Bhutanese community in exile takes itself serious it must be expected that a revitalized Bhutan News Service as an integrated news agency can continue its valuable work. So, dear friends, can you spare a dollar?
For BNS to lose momentum due to financial shortage after a decade long operation is nad should be the matter of concern for all of us.Of all its importance, BNS has let us know each other for at least what tuoches us all ,otherwise would go unnoticed.I have felt its perpetuality important and it needs to be even more active and stronger.I can’t imagine its unability to survive owing to the problems of finance.Let it not be dissolved.It ought to be our duties to help it journey long ahead.
BNS lost = we will be lost. BNS fail = we freedom seeker fail. So support BNS. Media is 90 % of Democracy.
This is not very good news considering the influence and the sense of togetherness that BNS has brought about .I personally think we should develope BNS as the common platform and each community organisation contribute for its functioning .
Or may be give annual subscription to the readers .
Say if there are 1000 readers, 5 dollars per annum would make it 5000 dollars a stable regular income .I am sure there are more readers than the 1000.