Nepal floods leave local journalists struggling to keep communities informed

Journalists have lost family members, homes, vehicles. Some journalists are still missing, while others are working with damaged equipment with no electricity and internet connections.

We are in direct contact with a media organisation on the ground, Freedom Forum. They found that four journalists are missing and around 14 family members of journalists are missing. Two journalists lost their vehicles. Six community radio stations are dealing with irregular electricity and internet connections.

Local journalists continue to report

Despite the impact of the floods on their own lives and work, journalists in affected areas continue to provide information to the public. Shiva Devkota, a journalist in Nuwakot, lost his office motorcycle in the flood. The loss has made it harder for him to travel to gather news.

“This has caused problems in my daily commute to gather news reports. This has directly affected access to information,” he says.

Journalists in Nuwakot continue to share information about search and rescue efforts, relief operations and other developments despite the circumstances they are facing themselves.

“We have continued to provide people with vital information”

Local radio stations have also been affected by the disruption caused by the floods. Radio Langtang still doesn’t have proper internet access. While media did not suffer major physical damage, the local market area was swept away, affecting the station's main sources of advertising revenue.

“We have continued to provide people with vital information during this crisis, but our own future remains uncertain,” says station manager Geeta Neupane.

Other radio stations face different challenges. Radio Trishuli has experienced technical problems caused by frequent power outages. At Radio Jalapa, floodwater entered the studio and damaged (back-up) batteries, UPS equipment and other equipment. Radio Chimteshwor is in dire need of satellite communication equipment, laptops, shelter and solar power.

Nuwakot FM deals with a damaged fibre connection and equipment. Around 2.9 kilometres of fibre was damaged, while equipment including a mixer, UPS, batteries, laptops, camera, uplink device and connectors was completely destroyed. The station has since managed to resume broadcasting after repairs to the fibre.

Nuwakot FM’s optic fibre damaged after the flood

Losing equipment

Kiran Adhikari, editor of Sundaradevi Sandesh Weekly in Nuwakot, lost his residence, media archives and reporting equipment in the flood.

“The day I myself became a victim, I lost all my property. Losing my property is okay, I can stand and earn again. But all the personal documents, data, newspaper archives I had collected since I started journalism were also swept away.”

Two laptops were also lost. Kiran says the documents and materials he collected since he began journalism cannot be recovered. Kiran is currently living with his family in Kathmandu with support of relatives and fellow journalists. His primary needs to continue his work are access to internet, means of transportation, a laptop, a power bank and temporary shelter.

Reporting after losing a home

Journalist Sunny Shrestha also lost his house and land in Nuwakot due to the floods. Despite losing his own property, he travelled to Rasuwa with colleagues to report on the situation and bring the experiences of affected people to the government.

“Even though I had lost everything myself, I did not want to sit around feeling helpless. Even though there was no pressure from my office to return to work, I wanted to bring voices and experiences of those affected to reach the government.”

Sunny's current needs include temporary shelter, a camera, laptop, power bank and financial support.

Sunny Shresta standing where his house used to be

Supporting local journalism

Freedom Forum's assessment shows that the impact of the Nepal floods on journalists and media outlets can vary. Some journalists have lost homes and property. Others have lost vehicles or essential work equipment. Radio stations are dealing with disrupted electricity and internet connections, while some media outlets face the longer-term effects of damage to local economies. The support needs identified are clear: laptops, power banks, internet and communication devices, backup power, transportation and temporary working spaces.

Free Press Unlimited supports affected journalists and newsrooms in Nepal. Your donation helps journalists directly by giving them the means to continue their work and help communities access to reliable information.

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