Kathmandu, May 10:Journalists and media experts today said that creativity and professional honesty in the news publication were essential for the professional development of Nepal’s journalism.
Journalism and creativity are closely linked to each other, they said at a one-day workshop-cum-seminar on “Nepalese Journalism in the Twentieth Century: Towards the Direction of Creativity” organised here today by the Gorkhapatra Sub-Branch of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) on the occasion of Gorkhapatra Daily’s centenary and the Corporation’s 38th anniversary.
Presenting a paper on the topic, former prime ministerial press advisor Kishor Nepal said that a journalist’s mission is not complete without his or her professional skill. “A professional journalist should have clarity of language, commitment and enthusiasm, an ability of play with ideas, a skill to win other’s faith, a tendency to rely on facts, an interest in the modern technology, confidence and a matured vision, flexibility and a zeal to develop his or her professional skill,” he added.
He charged that the Nepalese journalists of having no creativity adding that many have become journalists only for their livelihood.
Attractive layout and colourful presentation alone would be insignificant without substantial and factual reports, he said.
Commenting on his paper, Reader Lal Deusa Rai said that creativity would lead to professional competition and would support the country’s development plans and policies. “The present mission of the national media should be to play a key role in protecting and consolidating democracy.”
Two other papers, one on “The Form of Gorkhapatra in the 21st Century” by senior journalist Dhruba Hari Adhikari and the other on “The Print Media in the 21st Century: Strategies and Challenges” by senior journalist Ram Krishna Regmi, were also presented at the seminar.
Adhikari said that the Gorkhapatra Corporation, which has a century-long history, should not be privatised on the grounds that a democratic government should not run a publishing house. “The concerned authority should seek out ways to enhance the efficiency of the Corporation’s publications so that they could be the sources of authentic news.”
Commenting on the paper, former chairman of the Corporation Shrish Shamsher Rana said that Gorkhapatra should continue with its role it has been playing for the last one hundred years. “But its journalists should be professional and abide by the media ethics.”
Regmi said that with the growth of literacy rate and economic activities the readership of print media would increase in the 21st century that would witness a global society of information.
“Creativity, presentation and technology would lead the print media to its professional development in the coming era,” he said.
Commenting on the paper, former editor-in-chief of The Rising Nepal Parshuram Kharel said that the emergence of multimedia would not mar the readership of print media.
He said that distribution would play a significant role in increasing the readership of newspapers in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal, a country lagging behind in the road infrastructure.
The workshop session was chaired by Nepal Press Council President Harihar Birahi.
Inaugurating the seminar earlier, Nepali Congress General Secretary Sushil Koirala showed the necessity of making the Corporation’s publications, though state-owned, more objective and impartial in publishing news and views.
Lauding the Corporation’s role in consolidating democracy, he asked all the concerned to be accountable to people.
CPN-UML spokesman and former Information and Communications Minister Pradip Nepal suggested the government to take concrete initiatives towards improving the Corporation’s current situation.
Emphasising the need of professionalism, Nepal said, “If we think that colourful presentation is essential for improvement, then we are going away from the journalistic creativity and professionalism.”
The Corporation’s Chairman Prem Nidhi Gyawali, General Manager Benu Prasad Prasain, the Daily’s Editor-in-Chief Ramesh Tiwari, social worker Karna Shakya, FNJ President Suresh Acharya and Press Chautari President Bijaya Chalise also spoke at the function chaired by FNJ Gorkhapatra Sub-Branch President Pushkar Mathema.
Welcoming the guests and participants earlier, the Sub-Branch Vice-President Basanta Prakash Upadhyaya shed light on the objectives of the programme.