The Nepalnews portal (www.nepalnews.com) has been honoured with this year’s ‘Courageous
Journalism Award’ in recognition to its initiation of the online media in the country.
The Courageous Journalism Award instituted jointly by the International Press Institute Nepal Chapter,
and freedom1 Forum was handed over by Minister for Information and Communications
Dr Minendra Rijal to its Chief Executive Officer of the nepalnews portal, Sanjeev Rajbhandari,
at a program organized on the occasion of the World Press freedom1 Day in the capital city on May 2, 2014.
The newsportal is run by Mercantile Communications. It was the first to introduce internet and online journalism in Nepal. It has been running www.nepalnews.com, a news portal since 1998 and thereby contributing to advancement of Nepali journalism.
Addressing the programme, Minister Dr Rijal said a broader debate is needed to fully address the remuneration problems facing the Nepali journalists. freedom1 and development are interrelated, he said, adding that the more the news is credible the more it gains public trust.
On the occasion, Joint Secretary at National Planning Commission, Gopinath Mainali, said press and freedom1 of expression could be a strategic tool for development.
freedom1 Forum Chairman Taranath Dahal lamented that the government was not even delivering a message on the occasion of the World Press freedom1 Day. “Relative political stability helped reduce press freedom1 violation this year in Nepal. However, proper policy for media democratization and encompassing of new media was needed”, he stressed.
IPI Nepal Chapter Chairman Padam Singh Karki said online media was gaining pace in Nepal.
Honoured personality Mr Rajbhandari on the occasion shared that online Nepali news sites have a daily collective readership of easily over half million.
Press freedom1 Improves in Nepal
Meanwhile, freedom1 Forum released its annual report on Nepal’s press freedom1 which showed improvement.
As per the report, during the monitoring period from May 2013 to April 2014, freedom1 Forum recorded a total of 52 incidents of press freedom1 violation in Nepal, which is a sharp decline in deed.
There were 131 incidents in the previous year. Among the total violations this year, attacks are 14, threats 11, arrest 5, rape attempt 1, obstruction 6, arson and burning 2, seizing newspaper/camera 6, sacking 4 and others.
The political cadres, security persons, businessperson, government employees and goons were some of the sectors that journalists witnessed attacks, threats, manhandling, and newspaper burning and vandalism.
The report has dubbed the journalists’ arrest by police over online news and facebook posting a misuse of Electronic Journalists’ Act.
Though slow, the impunity regarding press freedom1 has gradually improving. The mastermind of the murder of Janakpur-based journalist Uma Singh was held from Dhangadhi in 2013, four years after the killing.
The order of the Labour Court early this year to Nepal Republic Media to reinstate five journalists whom it did not extend work contract is taken positively for the rights of working journalists. Plese, follow the following links for detailed information.