Nepali journalism blossoms

When you think of Nepal, you might think of images of the Himalayas and decorated child goddesses. The Western media often does not focus on what is going on in this small country nestled between China and India. Perhaps they should. Nepal is doing the opposite of the Western media today. While the western media scales back on hiring and funding, media outlets in Nepal are hiring new reporters, editors and broadcasters left and right. Newspaper readership and radio participation has taken a huge jump. This more effective flow of communication played a vital role in recent pro-democracy movements.

Due to a recent split at Kantipur, one of the largest newspapers in Nepal, there is expected to be more competition for the newspapers that will be launched soon as a result of that split. Reporter and blogger Dinesh Wagle said this has increased salaries of journalists in Nepal across the board. "There is a hiring spree and reporters like me are being offered more than double the salary they were receiving. Even Kantipur, where I still work and is Nepal's largest and independent media group with six newspapers and magazine and FM and TV, was forced to raise the salary of reporters," Wagle said.

New media methods are also being utilized. Facebook has been put to good use by Nepali journalists. Wagle says, "Now there is this new mantra, coined by me while teaching reporters how to join Facebook: If you are not in Facebook, you are not in the newsroom." Some reporters have jokingly considered continuing their regular columns on Facebook while waiting for the launch of the new newspapers.

More info: Federation of Nepali Journalsits