KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 27

The second national convention of Media Action Nepal, a research based media rights advocacy group, concluded in Kathmandu today has selected Laxman Datt Pant, media expert and researcher as its new chairperson. Pant has been selected as the chair of Media Action Nepal for the second term for the next four years.

The convention has also selected Priyanka Jha as vice-chairperson, Arati Shilpakar as secretary, and Dipa KC as its treasurer. The newly elected executive committee members include Yam Bahadur Dura, Ganesh Prasad Ghimire, and Aashish Mishra, according to Media Action Nepal.

To receive advisory insights for implementation of media related programmes, Media Action Nepal has also formed an advisory committee comprising senior journalists and advocates. The advisory committee has Bharat Dutta Koirala, Magsaysay Awardee, Dhurba Hari Adhikary, former BBC and Reuters journalist, Madhav Sharma, former advisory to the President of Nepal, and Borna Bahadur Karki, senior advocate and former chairperson of Press Council Nepal as its members.

As part of its organisational extension, the convention has designated province coordinators across all seven provinces. The newly designated province coordinators are Narendra Dhakal for Province 1, Hadish Khuddar for Province 2, Madhu Sudan Dawadi for Bagmati Province, Sunita Acharya for Gandaki Province, Sanju Paudel for Lumbini Province, Lalit Budha for Karnali Province, and Uma Kant Joshi for Sudurpashchim Province.

Newly elected chairperson Pant said that Media Action Nepal has been conducting various discussions, studies and research programmes with the mandate of making Nepali media independent, fair and accountable. He also informed that the organisation is expanding collaboration at an international level.

During the discussion programme organised on the occasion, senior journalist Dhruba Hari Adhikari stressed on the need for impartial and factual news. He said that the shortcomings of the media should be rectified. Similarly, Borna Bahadur Karki, former chair of the Press Council Nepal and senior advocate, said that the recent media research conducted by Media Action Nepal would help in improving the sector.

International experts in the areas of media, journalism and communications are included as honorary members of Media Action Nepal. They are Sadia Jamil of International Association of Media and Communication Research, Gifty Appiah-Adjei, expert in safety of journalists from Ghana, Professor Baris Coban from Turkey, Mariateresa Garrido, media and gender expert from from Venezuela, Turdubaeva Elira from Kyrgyzstan, Professor Jude William Genilo from Bangladesh, and Therese Patricia San Diago Toress, Director at Asian Institute of Journalism and Communications, Philippines.