active· Governance

Supporting Democracy through Digital Investigative Journalism in Nepal

This continuation project has its former partner organisation and a new content digital journalism. The immediate objective of this project is to impart digital investigative journalism skills to journalists. This 2017-2020 project is a) to create a pool o f investigative journalists skilled in the use of multi-media and data journalism tools b) to spread that know-how to the regional media and strengthen their investigative journalism content. Nepal's media landscape is diversifying with the arrival of new media platforms including online news portals and social media providing an effective alternate medium. To stay effective and relevant in this changing landscape investigative reporters need to adapt to and adopt these skills. The former project 2013-2015 taught basic skills in investigative journalism to 70 journalists in various regions of the country. The shifting eyeballs towards digital portals in the past years has shown Nepalis now have an alternative outlet of publication and syndication of investig ative stories that would otherwise have been sensitive for the corporate media. However the use of digital interfaces that use multimedia and datajournalism tools is deficient. The evaluation report of the earlier project between CIJ and VIKES has stated n ecessity for a training based on feedback from trainee reporterstrainers and editors working in various Nepali media. Accordingly the proposed project aims at training journalists to adopt digital tools for investigating and reporting on matters crucial to common interest. The project will also support CIJ to develop its own capacity to train and mentor investigative journalists in the use of multimedia and datajournalism techniques. Democratic ownership of development is a crucial element in human rights - based development. For citizens to know their rights and be able to exercise them they need an independent and critical media that serves their right to information. This is effectively being done in developed countries through promotion of investigative j ournalism. The project aims to do the same in Nepal through its activities.