Freedom Forum is pleased to announce awards it is to provide in three categories- investigative reporting, RTI activism and courageous journalism.

Mr Krishna Acharya, Economic Bureau Chief of the Kantipur daily, will be conferred on the ‘Investigative Journalism Award 2019’ for his contribution to the sector of economic development via journalism with special focus on tax scam, money laundering and financial crime and bringing to light the financial irregularities and corruption, thereby making aware the public, administration, policy makers and implementers to change both in thoughts and behaviour for building good governance with reform in the relevant sectors in Nepal. The use of right to information (RTI) for the investigative reporting he did for over a decade has enhanced trust and credibility in media.

Similarly, advocate Mr Bishwajeet Tiwari, will be given the Best RTI Activist Award 2019 for his continuous efforts in the sector of public interest and good governance with the right to information (RTI) activism. Disclosure of facts and documents from the public agencies with the filing of hundreds of RTI applications made public aware about the misuse of public resources, irregularities and corruption at local and provincial levels, which ultimately prodded the concerned agencies for improvement and enhancement of citizen’s role on participatory democracy.

Moreover, journalist Mrs Sunita Rawal, from Doti, Far West, will be provided the Courageous Journalism Award 2019 in recognition to her undeterred passion and patience to continue the journalism for over a decade despite numerous hassles and barriers and recent termination of job from State-owned Radio Nepal. The journalism she did to inform public on the issues of importance and to bring change in society with the reform in various sectors is appreciative.

Each award carries the purse of Rs 25,000 along with the appreciation letter.

The journalists and RTI activists were selected by the committee headed by senior journalist and past president of FNJ, and Press Council Nepal, Harihar Birahi, with the members as Freedom Forum Executive Chief, Taranath Dahal, Chairperson Haribinod Adhikari, representatives from NEFEJ, FNJ, and Centre for Investigative Journalism (CIJ).

FF wishes the award recipients” further activism in the related sectors.

The awards will be handed over at a program being organized in Kathmandu on November 24 (Mangsir).