Opinion
What substantiates the need for yet another online media outlet in an already crowded Nepali digital landscape? Which under-served niches or opportune convergences have we discovered? What gumption or business case drives us into believing that online journalism can be professionally rewarding and still remain viable, long-term, as a social enterprise?
What ethos and standards will the team hold up to make a lasting civic difference? And, most importantly, why should readers already deluged by an overload of digital content oblige us with their valuable time and attention?
These are among the many loaded questions we at nepalminute.com have been preoccupied with over the past several months. While it would be presumptuous on our part to claim we have found all the answers, after much deliberation, we have concluded that our instincts and assumptions are worth testing.
For starters, and perhaps needless to say, we are committed to staying true to the tried and tested fundamentals that make for ‘good journalism’ all over the world even as we toil patiently to push every frontier in the service of our young Nepali democracy.
We recognise that content remains king in any form of journalism. The fact that our promotors have all been invested in journalism for part or all of their professional careers, convinces us that we can make a marked difference.
By design, we have composed a diverse team that deliberately pairs seasoned hands with enthusiastic beginners not just to cast the widest possible lens on our plural Nepali perspectives but also to ensure that inclusion, mentorship and succession are integral to our organisational growth and well-being. To enforce collective oversight and accountability, our Editorial Board intends to maintain clear lines between content and business imperatives, ensuring journalistic balance in our output.
Obviously, there are certain ‘market’ disadvantages inherent to the practice of journalism in the English language in Nepal. English is still not a language of consequence in intellectual exchange nor in the conduct of business in everyday Nepal. But as a language of choice, English is growing in acceptability among younger Nepalis and the Nepali diaspora.
The big advertisers who command the clout to move markets need to recognise the link between critical thought and behaviour change. We will engage ‘market-makers’ to cash in on this emerging reality. This not to say that this space is presently vacant. There are a good many Nepali professionals who have made journalism in the English language their calling, often to brilliant effect. Yet, we feel there is still considerable room for innovation, partnerships, quality and growth, especially as the digital age breaks down all boundaries. In this sense, we will not be competing but conscientiously growing the market together.
One clear advantage in the practice of English language journalism out of Nepal is that it affords us as a society and a nation state of many moving parts the opportunity to voice an unfiltered, unvarnished, yet coherent account of what we collectively stand for – our hopes, our frustrations and our vital interests; our values, our struggles, and our aspirations with regard to our place in the sun. Applied purposefully, we need not be lost in concept, nor at the very least, in translation.
Clearly this must be a good thing for an independent nation and an evolving democracy restrained and boxed-in over centuries by entrenched geo-economic and geo-political predilections. Especially so as the frost of Cold War 2.0 sets in, if we are ever to establish to the rest of the world that we are a proud people of distinct character, disposition and temperament, prone to speaking our minds given the opportunity.
Like all start-ups, nepalminute.com is beginning very small – smaller even by Nepali media standards. But our ambitions and motivations are very big. As such, we count on your goodwill and your candid feedback to make this experiment practical in the first instance and eventually a resounding success. On our part, you can trust us to keep our eyes and ears peeled – every piece of comment and criticism will be treated with utmost thought and care, and even privacy if it should be a concern.
Together, we believe, we can make a positive difference.
-The Editorial Board
