Our ‘smart’ journey

Gorkhapatra is not just a publication, it is a prestigious school of Nepali journalism. As the nation’s oldest newspaper, Gorkhapatra, which has been published continuously for 122 years, is our pride and history. It carries our civilisation and culture. It is a heritage of our rich literature and linguistic diversity.

The beginning of Gorkhapatra’s publication in 1901 did not just lay the foundation of journalism in the country but also heralded a revolution in communication. The establishment of Gorkhapatra against the backdrop of a conservative political system and a controlled society more than a century ago was a bold and courageous step. It was this organisation that provided the consciousness and inspiration to forge the path towards an open society and democracy.

Gorkhapatra, which has been incessantly informing and educating the citizens of this country, embodies an entire age. It has weathered the ups and downs of history and has witnessed social upheavals and political transformation.

We indeed have a rich history to be proud of but we must now change our thinking, style and pace to effectively shape our present in the competitive market of this digital age. The need of the hour is to give Gorkhapatra and its publications a ‘digital shift’ and for that, our efforts are focused on starting a new ‘smart’ journey. Our goal is to build a ‘smart Gorkhapatra’ to meet the needs of the present digital age for which, a campaign has been launched to improve and enhance the Gorkhapatra Corporation’s internal system and trends and the quality of its publications.

With the rapid advancements in information technology, not only the media business but the very characteristic of journalism has changed. Journalists and newspapers are no longer the ones who wield the greatest power in today’s digital world, the technology and readers do. Social media is one of the biggest challenges for mainstream media. In this context, we want to express our commitment to formulating concrete strategies and plans to develop Gorkhapatra as a vibrant and powerful organisation in the field of communication by enhancing the quality of its editorial productions (Gorkhapatra Daily, The Rising Nepal, Yubamanch, Madhupark and Muna) and carrying out necessary policy reforms and restructuring.

We have already started our Kohalpur edition for western Nepal. Our Biratnagar publication has been covering the eastern part of the country. Now we are working to make the production and distribution of the Corporation’s publications more effective and efficient in both these regions. We have also initiated discussions and homework to begin publications from each of the seven provinces in collaboration with the provincial governments. 

Furthermore, we strive to make both our print and digital versions more oriented to the readers’ needs, interests and desires by making use of the available tools, resources and technologies. We have changed the traditional look of Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal and given them a newer and ‘smarter’ design and layout. We are encouraged by the positive response we have received about this from our esteemed readers. Now our focus is on the effective presentation of quality content. With the unprecedented development of technology and the aggressive expansion of social media, people can get news the instant it breaks in the palm of their hands. So why should a reader wait 24 hours to read Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal? We must now answer this by radically improving our content.

To cater our better services, we have revamped the news portal of both Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal. We are also working on strengthening the social media presence of our publications.

Similarly, we have been working to promote national unity and social harmony by publishing inclusive and diverse contents in more than 40 of our nation’s languages. The inclusive picture and character of the new Nepal is reflected in our publications. We have also prioritised the digital archiving of every issue of Gorkhapatra and The Rising Nepal published since 1901 to preserve promote them as a national heritage. We have moved forward with new strategies and action plans for advertisement, business promotion and revenue growth to make the corporation economically self-sufficient and sustainable.

We express our heartfelt gratitude to all the esteemed readers, writers, advertisers and well-wishers who have showed us constant love and provided us valuable support over the last 122 years of our journey. We face the challenge of adapting to the current digital age and establishing a foothold in the hyper-competitive market. We are coming up with a new plan to face and overcome this challenge. We express our commitment to developing ourselves as a beloved, reliable and responsible media organisation that all readers are able to read easily and that speaks to the heartbeat of all Nepalis.

Bishnu Prasad Subedi

Executive Chairman