United We Blog! for a Democratic Nepal

By Dinesh Wagle
Wagle’s Web Log

Theme of the Blog: After being banned from writing on hot political topics, Nepali journalists are trying to go beyond the subjects they have been ignoring for a long time. It seems, readers are enjoying.

After writing some odd editorials and leaving some blank spaces, newspapers, it seems, are back to business, well, with a difference. They are writing about people, places, traditions and lifestyles. A readers comment published on today’s Himalayan Times under the title “Quite a Relief” caught my attention this morning.

“I am very happy to read news and articles that are of importance to the general public these days in the newspapers,” Kusum Shahi writes. “I am particularly impressed by the write-ups on pet keeping, environmental topics, development activities and social issues like the recently published article on widows determined to wear red henceforth.”

The chairman of Diana Travels and Tours, Thamel goes on saying that Issues that interest the readers and are relevant to our day-to-day activities should be given more importance rather than repeated interviews of corrupt politicians to the distaste of many. “Too much emphasis on politics can make a newspaper boring to that segment which seldom reads political write-ups.”
Very well said, Kusum. Yes, newspapers are now writing about people. They are writing about societies, not just how many people were killed in the last gunfire and battle between Maoist and security forces.

On that very day of Feb 1 when King appeared on national television to declare that he is firing the ‘multi-party coalition government headed by PM Sher Bahadur Deuba and assuming the executive authority himself, the environment in the offices of media was worth observing. Here I am shedding some light on how it was like to be in the offices of the biggest publication in the country.

Next: The Newsroom Environment of Kantipur Daily.

Filed under: Nepal Press Freedom