34 journalists trained on public interest reporting

Freedom Forum trained 34 journalists on public interest reporting by organizing 5-day training in two phases- first in Sindhupalchowk from November 17 to 21, and second in Nuwakot from December 16 to 20 2017. The training on public interest reporting focused on the issues relating to reconstruction and rehabilitation activities; whether due process and mechanism is in place including flow of money, and accountability, and whether public concern on these activities have come to broader visibility through media or not. With this training, the journalists were expected to bring the stories from 14 districts that suffered worst during 2015 earthquake. Right to Information, data journalism, and public expenditure tracking survey were underscored as the public interest reporting tools. FF's Executive Chief Taranath Dahal, General Secretary Dharmendra Jha and senior investigative journalist Hasta Gurung provided the training to the journalists. Senior journalists and RTI experts, Mr. Dahal and Jha oriented the participants on various dimension of RTI by linking it to the public interest reporting. Similarly, noted investigative journalist Hasta Gurung mentioned how the investigative training could serve the purpose of public interest reporting. Both in Nuwakot and Sindhupalchowk trainings, guest facilitator Dr. Bhisma Kumar Bhusal, Under-Secretary and Assistant Spokesperson at Nepal Reconstruction Authority, presented a paper on Post-earthquake relief and rehabilitation and reconstruction in Nepal. Also, Nepal Red Cross Society Program Coordinator, Mr Anirudra Neupane talked in length on response, reconstruction and rehabilitation of post-earthquake. In Sindhupalchowk, a total of 18 journalists from various print and electronic media participated in the training organized under the project “Civil Society Mutual Accountability Project (CS: MAP)”, supported by USAID and implemented by FHI360. Journalists from Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Makwanpur, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Kavre and Okhaldhunga attended the training. There were females out of the total participants. Similarly, 16 journalists from various print and electronic media participated in the training in In Nuwakot. There were from Kathmandu, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Dhading and Gorkha districts. Among 16, 3 were female journalists.