With the growing number of social media users, the misuse of such media has also been increasing. Blame game and the remarks insulting and defaming the enemies or any detestable persons of any post or group can be found rife in the social media especially in the facebook.
Freedom Forum recently recorded an incident that a journalist in Siraha, a district in the southern plain of the country, was threatened of physical action by an underground armed outfit.
Journalist Santosh Yadav, reporter to the Rajdhani national daily published from the capital, was threatened by the underground armed outfit named Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (Rajan Mukti group) on August 8, 2011.
Talking to Media Monitoring Desk of the Freedom Forum, journalist Yadav said Vaskar Mukti, claiming himself a central member of the group, wrote in the facebook as "Mr Santosh, I've heard that you are working for police administration. It was sure you had a role to arrest Morcha's leader Jaymukti. Contact us soon; otherwise the high command of the Morcha will take physical action against you."
According to the facebook profile, the message came from the username jtmm.vaskarmukti@gmail.com.
However, journo Yadav said he had done nothing as claimed by Mukti.
He further said a local national daily Anukalpa, where he also works as reporter, had published news of arrest of Jaymukti by the police few weeks back. In this way, even the facebook has been used for issuing threat to the journalist.
"With the misuse of social media like facebook for threat, insult and defamation, the state side may emerge tough on the users of the social media increasing the chances of curtailing freedom of expression," says Freedom Forum Chairman Taranath Dahal, adding, the users need to properly utilize the social media for greater importance.
For more information,
Freedom Forum
monitoring@freedomforum.org.np
01-4102030/ 4102022