CHAPTER-1

INTRODUCTION
Abstract
Soon, experts say, your local paper won't be printed on paper. Pointing to a "mediamorphosis" in
which newspapers are recreating themselves on the Internet, mass communication analysts have
shown that online dailies are not only proliferating but gaining independence. In this paper, we
have considered the prospects of the online newspaper and the challenges they are facing in
competition with the printed newspaper. In context of Nepal, where use of internet is still not in
the prime form, we have tried to study present condition and future of ekantipur.com which is
considered as one of the better online newspaper of Nepal. Finally, we speculate on the possible
future of online newspaper.

Objective of the study

The objective of this research is to study the micro and macro marketing environmental aspects
of ekantipur.com and to know the prospects and challenges of this online newspaper.

Methodology
For this study we have selected secondary data collection method and interview with the expert
and some customers of Kantipur daily newspaper and followers of ekantipur.com.
Introduction
Online newspaper
An online newspaper is the online version of a newspaper, either as a stand-alone publication or
as the online version of a printed periodical.

Going online created more opportunities for newspapers, such as competing with broadcast
journalism in presenting breaking news in a timelier manner. The credibility and strong brand
recognition of well-established newspapers, and the close relationships they have with advertisers,
are also seen by many in the newspaper industry as strengthening their chances of survival. The
movement away from the printing process can also help decrease costs.

Internet
Internet functions under the mingled technology of Telecommunication and computer. It is a
platform that annexes the entire electronic signals of the world to a net and enables the users to
access their required information, knowledge, ideas, entertainment, education, opportunities and
more in digital form. The former vice president of United States Al Gore defined it as the
information super highway. Telecommunication is the basic need for internet without which its
functioning isnt possible yet. In next words, the internet is a network of digital information
worldwide.

Ekantipur.com
Kantipur Publications launched ekantipur.com in 1999, the online news portal as a complete emagazine where news comprises the major component. This portal encompasses all the elements
that should be present in a complete magazine. Along with web-based content, it contents the epaper and pdf versions of all our publications. This site has added more value by broadcasting
KTV news bulletin and shows on current affairs. Additionally, it showcases programs broadcast
on Radio Kantipur, the most popular FM station in the country. The site has added features like
model watch, photo-features, and lifestyle related content for local readers. There is also a special
section for Non-resident Nepalese with news catering to their needs. This pioneering attempt by
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eKantipur is bound to integrate the local Diasporas with their homeland more effectively.
EKantipur has been designed to target global viewers with a deep interest in Nepal. It currently
stands as the number one Nepali website (alexa). Ekantipur.com was registered 9 years 2 months
ago. It has an alexa rank of #8,920 in the world. It is a domain having .com extension. This site
has a Google Page Rank of 6/10. It is estimated worth of $ 990,360.00 and has a daily income of
around $ 917.00. Furthermore the website is generating income from Google Adsense. As no
active threats were reported recently, ekantipur.com is SAFE to browse.

CHAPTER-2
BACKGROUND
2.1 Development of online journalism in Nepal

The rapid development of the world is credited to the advancement in communication

technology which has helped globalization and is leading the humankind towards a similar type
thought, culture and lifestyle. Started with the invention of Gutenbergs printing press in 1456,
the modern journalism has reached the summit of advancement with introduction of online
media. Today we have internet that comprises the audio, video, photo and the text. Hence, the
online publication can also be defined as the mingled form of radio, television and print
journalism.

As professed by the experts during the late twentieth century in Washington DC, the world today
is observing a revolution in communication. It has put a firm effect towards the government,
society, politics and human acts. The communication revolution is compared to the industrial
revolution of the late eighteenth century Europe, substituting agriculture.
As Nepal is an important part of the world, it cannot remain isolated to the development of
means of communication. Despite the pace and techniques, the information and communication
technology, e-commerce and online journalism are growing in Nepal. Along with the sector of
journalism, the arenas of business, academia, agriculture, environment and many more are also
using the online media in todays Nepal. Under such background, heres an attempt to present the
definition, situation and development of online journalism in context of the Federal Democratic
Republic of Nepal.

2.3 History of internet:

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The age of internet is hardly four decades. It was first used to transfer data under a network of
four computers associated to universities researchers and later to the United States Defense Force
during 1960s in which underwater cables were stretched and connected to the systems for
transferring information. The project was named as Advanced Research Project Agency
(ARPANET in short). The channel was simply used for secrecy in defense but not for any
journalistic purposes. Later in 1990, the British scientist Tim Berners-Lee developed the
necessary codes to publish a website named Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). It speeded
the development of online publication. Today, the world is enjoying more advanced technologies
such as CSS, PHP and MySQL for web publication. Web hosting and domain registration service
provider agencies are established worldwide. The consequence is the availability of any needed
or searched information of any longitude.

2.3 Internet in Nepal:

The credit of introducing internet in Nepal goes to the senior journalist Bharat Dutta Koirala. He
introduced e-mail under the name of electronic mailbox during immediate post Jana Aandolan
period. The users of the mailbox were World View Nepal and Nepal Forum of Environmental
Journalist (NEFEJ). Next to that the then Royal Nepal Academy of Science & Technology
(RONAST) started using e-mail using the PC-trunk dial to India.
Mercantile Communication became the first professional organization to introduce net facility
in Nepal with the service of e-mail in 2051 BS. Next to the Mercantile, Worldlink started
providing internet services in Kathmandu valley. The business competition between these two
companies helped fostering and increasing the access of Nepalese people and organizations to
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internet. Todays giant ISP Nepal Telecom (Nepal Telecommunications Corporation) started to
provide internet on 2058 BS, causing thousands of Nepalese to subscribe and connect internet in
their homes, rooms and offices easily.
Today Nepal Telecom has become the largest ISP followed by several companies such as United
Telecom Limited, Mercantile Communication, Worldlink, Vianet, Spice Nepal, Broadlink,
Everest, Speedcast, Websurfer etc. The rural districts of Manang, Mustang and Jumla are using
VSAT internet. Wireless WI-Fi service has been started in Kathmandu valley by Broadlink.
Mobile WAP and GPRS service provided by Nepal Telecom and Ncell in their GSM system has
brought the internet to the hands and palms of hundreds of thousands Nepalese people.

2.4 Development of Online Journalism:

The internet was developed in the western hemisphere during 1970s, even before the
introduction of IBM computer system. It sounds funny hearing that people would use internet in
television and not in computer set during the starting phase. Up to 1970s, computer would be
used to store and process data of internet and television screen would display it. It was because
of the then computers size, weight and cost, much larger and heavier than todays. Such
technology in which a decoder box would be annexed to viewers television set for receiving
data lasted as late as 1990.
Two different technologies of online journalism were developed during 1970s. The first is Tele
text and the second Video text. Tele text technology was first used by BBC under the heading
of Ceefax in which news and graphs would be sent to the TV set and the users could read or
view selecting from the primary listing of information via remote controller. Its a single track
communication technology, originally developed for the deaf audiences, in which users cant put
forward their feedback. BBC has declared its Ceefax service will end by 2012 AD. On the next
side was video text in which two way communications became possible. In this technology,
computer was used to send electronic signals. Data transferred through it could be viewed in
television, computer or video monitor. In this process, Telephone wire, two line or network

cables and wireless technology are used to create a network. Todays World Wide Web is
developed form of video text technology.
Online or e-journalism is the process of delivering or publishing news and information to the
viewers via internet and computer. It was developed parallel to the internet. It displays texts,
figures, audios and videos in mingled form, carrying the characteristics of print, radio and
television journalism together. Today anyone can be a reporter, editor or publisher with internet
based sites or pages.
The US based site Chicago Tribune is supposed to be the first modern online publication. It was
first appeared online on 1992 AD pioneering the path of internet journalism. Now-a-days,
thousands of news portals and online version of various Medias can be accessed on internet. The
news agencies like AP, AFP, Xinhua, Reuters etc and media organizations like BBC, CNN, Al
Jazeera, Fox news, CRI etc are also available online. Besides, millions of informative and
entertainment based sites and blogs are also available.

2.5 Development of Online Journalism in Nepal:

As the first Nepalese newspaper was published abroad, i.e. in India; the first online publication
about Nepal was also published abroad, i.e. in United States. Nepalese people residing in US
published a news site about Nepal named The Nepal Digest (TND) in 1992 under the leadership
of Rajpal Singh. The publication was regular at the beginning but went irregular before it shut
down after the 449th edition. Later, New York based TND Foundation resumed its regular
publication since 2003 up to 2005 AD.
In case of mainland Nepal, The Kathmandu Post started its online versions publication on 1995
AD, as a joint venture to Mercantile Communication. Kantipur Publication claims it to be the
first online version of newspaper in the entire south Asian sub-continent. The publication was
available on Mercantile hosted and run business website:www.southasia.com. Despite the fewer
number of online readers in Nepal, the site got much popularity outside Nepal. Later, Mercantile
published a new and fully fledged Nepalese news site on the domain of www.nepalnews.com. It
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was hosted since 1999 AD (Kartik 2056 BS), comprising the online newspapers of southasia.com
and contemporary major print publications of Nepal. Its considered credible and accurate on
Nepalese news internationally.
The first Nepalese online page to host on its own domain is Himal South Asia under
www.himalmag.com which started publishing on1997. Many Nepalese publication houses were
still indifferent to web at the moment Himal was clickable online. Afterwards Kantipur
publication

moved

to

web

on

the

domain

of www.kantipuronline.com and

laterwww.ekantipur.com keeping its dominance on Nepalese internet world as well. The site is a
platform of its total publications Kantipur, The Kathmandu Post, Kantipur Saptahik, Kantipur
Qatar, Nepal and Naari. During the recent days, all major broadsheets are publishing
electronically. The state run Gorkhapatra Corporations news and informative publications are
available on www.gorkhapatra.org.np. Similarly Kamana Publication is running its news
site www.newsofnepal.com. Rajdhani national dailys www.rajdhani.com.np and The Himalayan
Times cum Annapurna Posts www.thehimalayantimes.com are also online. The UCPN
(Maoist)s publications such as Janadisha daily and Janadesh Weekly are available on
www.krishnasenonline.org.

The

famous

weekly

Jana

Aastha

is

appearing

onwww.janaaasthanews.com and other weeklies are collectively published online via Mercantile
hosted site: www.nepalnews.com. News sites hosted out of mainland Nepal such
www.nepalipost.com, www.nepaljapan.com, www.nepalkuwait.com etc are also popular among
the Nepalese internet users nationally and internationally.

2.6 Online Blogging:

The changed version of online journalism, where the unedited news, views, reviews and posts
can be read or write is blog. The personal open diaries publication in US Universities on 1996
AD can be assumed as the beginning of web blogging and today it has become a lifestyle. The
western world has approved it as grass root journalism and the bloggers are considered to be the

journalists. In case of Nepal its simply limited to citizen journalism because of the limited
access and availability of internet or computer knowledge nationwide.
The technology for blogging is easy and its accessible to everyone. Registering a domain is not
necessary for blogging, though some blogs are hosted on registered domains and operated similar
to a website. The Googles blog hosting site www.blogger.com is especially famous among
bloggers worldwide. Besides, www.wordpress.com, www.typepad.com and even the MSN,
facebook, flicker and myspace pages are used for posting blogs.
Blogging is supposed to have started in Nepal with the publication of www.blog.com.np in
which nearly half a dozen journalists are continuously posting their pages under the slogan of
United we blog for a democratic Nepal. Except it, there are hundreds of blogging pages hosted
by journalists, authors, musicians, politicians and individuals. Some famous and highly
trafficked Nepalese blog pages are www.mysansar.com, www.demrepubnepal.blogspot.com,
www.dev.net.np etc. The site www.blogger.com.nppublishes an alphabetical list of Nepalese blog
sites. However, publishing the literary creations and news based articles on the blogs are now
general but the accuracy and credibility of blogs are often questioned.

2.7 Prospects and Problems of Online in Nepal:

Internet or online journalism can be a significant solution of geographic difficulties for

transportation (of information and news papers) in Nepal. According to Internet World Status,
there are more than a million computer sets in the country today. The ratio of increment of
computers is nearly 45 thousand sets every year. And 625,800 Nepalese are estimated to use
internet within Nepal (up to 2010). Internet is also used in the field of commerce and banking.
Similarly www.muncha.com, www.thamel.com etc have started online marketing in Nepal. The
UTF-8 and UTF-16 system of Unicode fonts have helped Devnagari script to be published online
helping the Nepalese art and literature to blossom. Nepalese users are now linked to various

social networking sites such as facebook, twitter, myspace, hi5 etc and after all to the entire
human kind of the world.
But still millions of Nepalese are illiterate and billions havent access to the internet. The cost of
computer and internet charges of internet service providers (ISPs) are very high in comparison
to per capita income of Nepalese. Due to the expensive cost of internet, thousands of lower and
middle class people are using the PC either as a typewriter or as a video monitor. The frequent
power shortage or cuts in the urban areas and no electrification in the rural areas are forcing
Nepalese to remain indifferent of computer and the information technology. Government of
Nepals plan to build IT park and launce e-governance is limited into papers. So, it can be
declared that the case of absence of the private investors to internet market would keep Nepalese
online sector at the primitive age.

2.9 The effects of the attributes of online news on its adoption and use

no costs

multitasking

more news choices

in-depth and background information

24/7 updates

customization

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ability to discuss the news with peers

the existence of different viewpoints

the opportunity to talk back to the media

CHAPTER-3
ANALYSIS AND CURRENT MARKET SCENARIO
3.1 Market Analysis of E-kantipur

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Kantipur Publications launched ekantipur.com in 1999, the online news portal as a complete emagazine where news comprises the major component. This portal encompasses all the elements
that should be present in a complete magazine. Along with web-based content, it contents the epaper and pdf versions of all our publications. This site has added more value by broadcasting
KTV news bulletin and shows on current affairs. Additionally, it showcases programs broadcast
on Radio Kantipur, the most popular FM station in the country. The site has added features like
model watch, photo-features, and lifestyle related content for local readers. There is also a special
section for Non-resident Nepalese with news catering to their needs. This pioneering attempt by
eKantipur is bound to integrate the local Diasporas with their homeland more effectively.
EKantipur has been designed to target global viewers with a deep interest in Nepal. It currently
stands as the number one Nepali website (alexa). Ekantipur.com was registered 9 years 2 months
ago. It has an alexa rank of #8,920 in the world. It is a domain having .com extension. This site
has a Google Page Rank of 6/10. It is estimated worth of $ 990,360.00 and has a daily income of
Development of Online Journalism around $ 917.00. Furthermore the website is generating
income from Google Adsense. As no active threats were reported recently, ekantipur.com is SAFE
to browse.
Source: www.ekantipur.com
3.2 Legal Aspects to Web:
The world is having a debate on the model of cyber law and internet related regulations. The
worldwide accepted Internet Protocol advocates uncensored sites. But United States, credited as
the birthplace of internet, promulgated a cyber law named Communication Decency Act (CDA)
on 1996 and imposed censorship or ban on the pornographic sites. Since, numbers of nations
have prepared cyber laws and are controlling terrorism and pornography related pages. For
example, the neighboring Peoples Republic of China has developed a strong mechanism to
control internet crimes and cyber disorders. The Government of Malaysia has banned more than
200 thousands web pages and blogs. Korea DPR doesnt allow internets use within its territory
but has developed the worlds second largest intranet only after the US based Navy/Marine
Corps Intranet (NMCI), with all basic facilities of World Wide Web such as chat room, social
networks, news pages, distance learning, business pages and multimedia.

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In case of Nepal the Electronic Transaction and Digital Signature Act of 2004 (ETDSA),
imposed through an ordinance states a provision of ban on the site disturbing national interests
and integration. It regulates online commerce and financial transactions and criminalizes certain
online behavior, including hacking and fraud and also provides criminal penalties, including
fines and up to five years in prison, for the publication of illegal content on the Internet
(though it provides no definition of illegal content), or for the publication of hate speech or
speech likely to trigger ethnic strife. Similarly, Clause 19 and 20 of Telecommunication Act
2053 allows the government to control and monitor any ISP or site. And the National
Broadcasting Act of 1993 and the National Broadcasting Regulation of 1995 provide for fines
and/or imprisonment for broadcasting content likely to cause ethnic strife or social unrest,
undermine national security or moral decency, or conflict with Nepali foreign policy. During the
2061s Royal takeover, twenty Nepalese news sites were blocked under these acts and ordinance.
Unfortunately, the Government that could ban the news sites is not monitoring the pornographic
sites at all, leaving very bad consequences, basically to the child and teenagers. Various blog
pages and sites are posting or publishing pornographic or copy righted articles, but the
Government of Nepal seems to be total ignorant to these issues.

CHAPTER-4
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
4.1 Conclusion
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Ekantipur.com is one of the prime online newspaper of Nepal has huge prospect and with
advancement in the information technology it has better market, which can make ekantipur.com
as one of the major profit centre of Kantipur. Also, in country like Nepal where means
transportation has not been so developed, online newspaper can be a solution.
Finally, if the nation and the people couldnt move forward with the pace of developing
information technology, there will be left nothing at all. Moreover, the media person who
couldnt join the race of information super highway will lose his ground very soon. One must
accept the internet and online as the core of todays world and development. The government
should make e-friendly policy and implement them. Finally, we would like to declare that
tomorrows Nepal is e-Nepal and the next generation is e-generation.

4.2 Recommendation
After the study of micro and macro marketing environmental factors of ekantipur.com and with
interview of some experts and users of ekantipur.com we would like to recommend following
points
Blogging: The changed version of online journalism, where the unedited news, views, reviews
and posts can be read or write is blog. The personal open diaries publication in US Universities
on 1996 AD can be assumed as the beginning of web blogging and today it has become a
lifestyle. The western world has approved it as grass root journalism and the bloggers are
considered to be the journalists. In case of Nepal its simply limited to citizen journalism because
of the limited access and availability of internet or computer knowledge nationwide. Thus
blogging helps to interact the readers directly with the organization and more importantly the
reporter of the news which can enhance the number of reader.
Social Networking: Social networking sites have created some kind of revolution in the field of
communication. Every other person who has access to internet has been involved in the social
networking. Thus online newspaper should have link up with social networking so as to improve
the number of readers.
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Email marketing: Email marketing is one of the cheapest and fastest means of direct marketing.
Ekantipur.com must use email marketing to increase the customer base.
Customer profiling: Customer profiling in e-marketing is relatively easy as compared to
traditional marketing. Ekantipur.com should profile its customer according to their preferred
news and choices. Customers surfing online newspaper are very specific thus ekantipur.com can
created suggested pages by knowing their pages clicked frequently.

Differentiation: It has been seen that the Kantipur in its printed form and online are almost
similar. Differentiation in the content of printed newspaper and online newspaper will create a
value for both forms of newspaper. Online newspaper may be targeted to the youth as generally
they do not read the printed form of newspaper. Contents in the online may related more towards
the study, research based articles, and advertisements of those products which needs direct
marketing.
Investment: It has been observed that Kantipur has not been able to invest much on
ekantipur.com as they are not able to earn much from the ekantipur.com. Thus more investment
on ekantipur.com could ekantipur.com as one of the major profit centre of Kantipur.

References
Boczkowski, P.J. (2004). The Processes of Adopting Multimedia and Interactivity in Three
Online Newsrooms. Journal of Communication 54(2): 197
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Massey, B.L and M.R Levy (1999). Interactivity, online journalism, and English-language Web
newspaper in Asia. Journalism and Mass Communication Quaterly 76(1): 138
Shah, D.A. (2013). Development of Internet and Online Journalism in Nepal
www.ekantipur.com

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