Legacy of trust of Nepal's 1st English language broadsheet

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Dec. 17: The Rising Nepal, first English broadsheet daily of the country, has turned 59 from Sunday, December 17. 

Published by the Gorkhapatra Corporation, the first and state-owned newspaper company of the country, since December 16, 1965 (Poush 1, 2022 BS), The Rising Nepal was the first broadsheet 

English newspaper. However, it was the third English newspaper of Nepal.  'Motherland' and 'The Commoner' were serving the readers before TRN. 

TRN has been in the publication for the last 58 years, becoming the longest-running English daily newspaper in the country.  

According to the former editors of The Rising Nepal, this newspaper was the need of the time then as the government wanted it as it had to send all advertisement in English to India for publication which would take many days. 

Although the readership of the English newspaper was considerably small then, the dependence on the Indian media for the advertisements in English forced the government to launch this daily. 

This newspaper has become a reliable source for foreigners to know about Nepal. 

The newspaper immediately came into the attention of many because of its size and content. Meanwhile, the government then presented The Rising Nepal as a liberal media, making it a bit different from its sister publication – Gorkhapatra Daily, the first newspaper of the country which is in publication for 125 years. As the former editors of this daily said in various occasions in the past, compared to Gorkhapatra daily, it exercised greater editorial freedom.

King's direct rule ended in Nepal in 1990 with the restoration of multiparty democracy which paved the way for the opening of private media including broadsheet dailies, television channels and FM radio stations. The country consequently witnessed a flood of many English print media including the broadsheet dailies which adopted latest technologies and design to attract the readers, but TRN continued with its traditional design and look.

A decade-long effort has now resulted in better design, higher readability and attractive features. As a result, the paper has more liberal design and photo presentation. Its content has been diversified with the publication of special pages, editions and pull-outs. It has been trying to address the needs of political and business elites to school kids.

Currently, TRN features special pages for business, op-ed, international, art and culture and sports. Likewise, it has been regularly publishing an 8-page pull-out, Friday Supplement, which includes feature stories, literature, book reviews, and sections for youth and children. 

Now when the daily is entering the 59 years of its publication, it expects similar love and support from its readers, well-wishers, contributors and others in the days ahead.