CMR-Nepal Journalism Academy Report 2024
CMR Nepal Journalism Academy
An initiative of CMR-Nepal to provide training to mid-career journalists to digitally transform journalism.
Namaste! We're nearing the conclusion of 2024. CMR Nepal Journalism Academy had a memorable year with many of its objectives fulfilled. This edition of our newsletter is a bit long as we have list of achievements, activities and courses of 2024 as well as plans and vision for 2025.
In Nutshell
CMR Nepal Journalism Academy in 2022-2024
CMR Nepal Journalism Academy's plans for 2025
Many reports also appear in Interlink Academy's annual newsletter!
In Details
Courses in 2024
CMR Academy also developed and implemented the Fact-Checking Course, which featured two 6-day in-person phases surrounding a 6-week e-learning period. Fourteen journalists and fact-checkers attended and completed the course in September-October 2024.
The Fact-Checking Course included modules on monitoring and identifying misinformation, conducting fact-checking using tools such as reverse image search, metadata viewers, forensics, archiving, advanced internet search, writing fact-checks, and understanding the principles set out by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). The training was facilitated by Umesh Shrestha, Chetana Kunwar, Tilak Pathak, and Ujjwal Acharya.
During the training, participants worked in pairs to conduct seven practical fact-checks, which were published by NepalFactCheck.org—an IFCN-certified fact-checking initiative by our partner aimed at debunking viral misinformation spreading across media and social media.
The course on Digital Security for Journalists is the first course developed by us. This blended-learning course consisted of 6 days of in-person sessions, followed by 6 weeks of e-learning. It was implemented in August-September 2024 and completed by 12 journalists.
The Digital Security for Journalists course included modules on threat analysis, computer and mobile device security, internet security, secure communication, privacy and data security, personal and newsroom safety planning, as well as understanding and dealing with online harassment. The course was facilitated by Ujjwal Acharya, Umesh Shrestha, and Nasana Bajracharya.
This is the first multi-day digital security course for journalists in Nepal, where digital attacks on journalists and media houses, as well as online harassment, have increased exponentially in recent years.
Twenty-six journalists completed the Data-Driven Journalism courses at the CMR Nepal Journalism Academy in 2024. The course, first introduced by Interlink Academy in Nepal in 2020, remains the most demanded and impactful course at the Academy.
In 2024, two courses were conducted, which also aimed at providing experience to new data journalism trainers. Experienced trainers Umesh Shrestha and Arun Karki worked alongside new trainers Chetana Kunwar, Ramesh Kumar, and Krishna Gyawali to deliver the courses.
The topics covered included tools and techniques for data acquisition through freedom of information applications, advanced internet search, and web scraping; data sources and types; data cleaning, arrangement, and analysis; presenting data through appropriate visualizations; and data-driven storytelling.
There has been a significant increase in data-driven stories in the media where the trainees are employed following their training. For example, Mohan Mainali produced a four-part data-driven series on how climate change-induced drought and high rainfall have impacted lives and natural resources in Nepal. Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. Read another impactful story by Dinesh Gautam here.
Eleven journalists and communicators completed a course in Podcasting at the CMR Nepal Journalism Academy in 2024.
The Podcasting course marks the first time the Journalism Academy has facilitated such a course with local trainers, without direct supervision from an expert trainer at Interlink Academy. The three new local trainers—Sabita Acharya, Laxman Karki, and Pawan Acharya—had attended the Podcasting courses in 2023, which were facilitated and supervised by Interlink Academy.
The course covered the fundamentals of podcasting, audio recording and editing using open-source audio editing software and utilizing podcasting tools. Participants learned interview techniques, storytelling, podcast publication, and promotion strategies. Many participants have since started offering podcasts, either individually or through media outlets.
In August 2024, 12 journalists completed the Multimedia Storytelling course at the CMR Nepal Journalism Academy, which is a revised and updated version of the mobile journalism course, now focused on storytelling techniques using mobile phones.
The course covered essential topics such as recording and editing photos, videos, and sound using mobile phones; developing compelling narratives; creating multimedia stories; and publishing and promoting them on digital platforms. The course was facilitated by Bikash Karki, Kiran Dahal, Uma Bista, and Nasana Bajracharya.
The Interlink Academy conducted a Training of Trainers (ToT) for 12 new trainers at the CMR Nepal Journalism Academy from February 25 to March 9, 2024.
This was the second ToT in Nepal and was facilitated by Erik Albrecht and Werner Eggert. It aimed to produce journalism trainers equipped with modern pedagogy. Since the trainers who attended the ToT in 2022 not only facilitated courses at the Journalism Academy but also conducted training sessions around the country, we believe that organizing the second ToT not only strengthened our capacity but also have a positive and lasting impact on journalism training in Nepal.
The new batch of trainers includes Manoj Satyal, Uma Bista, Kanchan Adhikari, Laxman Karki, Ramesh Kumar, Krishna Gyawali, Kiran Dahal, Pawan Acharya, Chetana Kunwar, Sabita Acharya, Ramu Sapkota, and Prabesh Subedi.
They also attended a three-day flipchart visualization training facilitated by the Academy’s trainers. Among the newly trained trainers, nine have already facilitated courses as co-trainers at the Academy in 2024, and the others will facilitate courses in 2025.
?Strengthening Journalism Academy's Presence
领英推荐
The CMR Nepal Journalism Academy launched the Nepali translation of Podcasting – A Short Introduction, originally published in German, in Kathmandu on October 4, 2024.
Benjamin Seidel, Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Development Cooperation and Economics at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Kathmandu, and author Brigitte Hagedorn jointly unveiled the book. The book is published by CMR Nepal Journalism Academy in collaboration with Interlink Academy.
At the launch event, Hagedorn, in her lecture News and Podcasting in the Contemporary World, shed light on the significance of podcasting. She focused on the technologies used in podcast production, making podcasts reliable and empathetic, and strategies for marketing podcasts.
Deputy Head of Mission Seidel emphasized the crucial role of journalism in the development of democracy and stressed the importance of capacity building for journalists. He lauded the Journalism Academy’s role in enhancing journalists' capabilities.
CMR Nepal Journalism Academy was one of the local partners when the ninth Global Voices Summit 2024 was organized in Kathmandu from December 6–7, 2024, with more than 300 participants from 40 countries.
The Summit's opening plenary session on "Digital Conversations in Nepal: Past, Present, and Future" was moderated by CMR Nepal Journalism Academy's Managing Director Ujjwal Acharya, with Kunda Dixit, founder and former editor of Nepali Times, Sabita Acharya, podcaster of Gulabi Sambad, and Sudip Bhai Subedi, YouTuber of In-Depth Story, as the panelists. ?
The Global Voices Summit is an international gathering on digital media, knowledge, and activism from a Global Majority perspective.
The Advisory Committee of CMR Nepal Journalism Academy met twice in 2024 to review activities and plans.
The Committee comprises?Dharma Raj Bhusal, chairperson of OnlineKhabar and Himalaya TV, Prof. P. Kharel, Nepal’s first journalism professor, Prateek Pradhan, editor-in-chief of Baarhakhari, Upasana Ghimire, editor of Nari magazine, Tilak Pathak, Executive Director of CMR-Nepal and Werner Eggert, Director of Interlink Academy.
In addition to regular business, the committee discussed the Academy’s training principles, courses and pedagogy during March meeting and the preliminary findings of a training needs survey of Nepali journalists commissioned by CMR-Nepal in November.
The Advisory Committee also discussed the importance of the courses run by the Academy as well as viability of the Academy for its continuity and self-sustainability.
CMR Nepal Journalism Academy and Nepal Sports Journalists Forum (NSJF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to strengthen sports journalism in Nepal.
Director Ujjwal Acharya and NSJF President Durga Nath Subedi signed the MoU in the presence of AIPS Asia President Hee Dong Jung during the 25th AIPS Asia Congress in Kathmandu.
AIPS Asia is the continental chapter of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). The Academy will support NSJF, and AIPS Asia is strengthening sports journalism training in Nepal and other Asian countries.
Nepal’s Federal Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, lauded the efforts of the CMR Nepal Journalism Academy to promote the quality of journalism during a meeting in February 2024.
The Academy’s Director Ujjwal Acharya, Director of Operations Bikash Karki, and trainer Chetana Kunwar met with Minister Sharma at her office and briefed her about the objectives and activities of the Academy.
Interlink Academy’s Director, Werner Eggert, participated in and facilitated the Annual Strategic Review Meeting and Staff Retreat of the CMR Academy in Chitwan in February 2024.
The team reviewed activities from 2022 and 2023, staff roles and responsibilities, areas for improvement, and realigned roles and responsibilities. They also brainstormed ideas for smoother and efficient operations.
Eggert also joined the Academy team in November to review implementation of outcomes from the earlier meeting, as well as the financials and activities for 2024, and training plans for 2025.
Our three trainers - Arun Karki, Rabi Raj Baral and Nasana Bajracharya - participated in the annual DW Global Media Forum 2024 in Bonn, Germany from June 17 - 18, 2024.
The DW Global Media Forum is a unique interdisciplinary platform since 2008, bringing together media professionals, decision-makers from politics, civil society, culture, education, business, and science from around the world. This event fosters intercultural exchange and mutual learning.
Our data trainer Chetana Kunwar was awarded the prestigious Narayan Shanti Mishra Gold Medal for securing the top position in the Master of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication (MAMCJ) during Tribhuvan University's 50th Convocation Ceremony on December 28, 2024.
Our trainers Tilak Pathak and Bhuwan KC published an edited book - "Corruption and Media: Scandal, Actor, Trend, and Analysis" [in Nepali] in 2024.
Similarly, trainer Manoj Satyal with our alumni Narayan Kafle co-edited "Parliamentary Reporting: Principles and Practices" published in 2024 by Journalists Society for Parliamentary Affairs.
Meanwhile, we have opened call for applications for our first training in 2025. We will soon open call for applications for podcasting and mobile journalism courses that will take place in the first quarter of 2025.
That's all for this issue! See you in next issue! Happy New Year 2025!