Himalayan News Service

Kavre, May 13:

Sheer misfortune has hit newspapers in the district following intense competition and financial losses. Publishing houses consider the journals they publish a matter of prestige and shutting them is not easy as they feel it affects their reputation. Currently, there are around a dozen newspapers including a daily and the recently started Jana Pratistha Weekly.

Newspapers in Kavre started 31 years ago. Bedana Weekly, registered in Poush 2030 BS, is the first paper of the district. The first daily here started in 2051 BS and is still being published. According to a report, — Haal Khabar and Naya Kathmandu — were registered in the district in Bhadra 2039 BS and Magh 2051 BS.

Bhoj Raj Timilsina, chairman of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Kavre, said weeklies Chir Smaran, Nepal Express, Aaja Ko Nepal, Saakar, Gorkhali Aawaz, Aayam, Saamajwad and Kathmandu Post were registered before the New Media Policy and all are no longer published. Usha and Kalilo were two fortnightly papers registered then, which have also stopped publication. However, monthly papers Bedana and Janamat are still going strong.

According to a survey, 13 newspapers among the 15 registered under the old media policy have stopped publication. However, under the New Media Policy, Purbiya Darpan Dainik on Sundays; Kavre Post, Rashtra Chakra and Khabar Chautari on Mondays; Jana Pratistha, Nawa Kshitiz and Sanjivani Patra on Tuesdays; Kavre Times on Wednesdays; Nava Sankeet on Thursdays and Kavre Hotline on Fridays, are being published. Though Jana Pratistha had to close down for a brief period, it has resumed publication from last Monday. The two monthly newspapers — Naya Sanket and Samanantar Alok — have no green signal from the DDC. The Gift Rider, Nagarik Samaaj and Balodhan monthly are being published regularly.

A record maintained by journalists’ organisations in the district shows that the Kavre Press Club was registered in 2038 BS but only Press Chautari and Federation of Nepalese Journalists, are working actively. The RSS has constructed its building here. There are no FM stations and preliminary work for starting an FM is on.

Bhoj Raj Timilsina, editor and publisher of Jana Pratistha Weekly said it is essential to work on community radio, audio towers, local TV channels and small publications. RL Shramajeevi, editor of the Kavre Times Weekly, said publications in the district have taken the first step towards development after three decades.

Registrations have again gone up in Kavre after 2039 BS, but lack of promotion, high printing costs, lak of advertisements, mismanagement in the distribution system, unreliable news publication and less investigative news are the major problems, said journalists.

Some newspapers in the district have received international acclaim and the number of journalists has increased. However, only 36 of the 96 journalists are actively engaged in the profession.