By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 17: The Rising Nepal must keep abreast of technological developments to stay relevant. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki had this advice for the nation’s oldest English-language daily on the occasion of its 56th anniversary on Thursday.

Stating that the paper needed to adapt to the digital age, Minister Karki expressed his commitment to help The Rising Nepal (TRN) evolve and transform to attract new readers. “We must develop a TRN that readers, both in Nepal and abroad, seek to read,” he said. “For that, it has to focus on strengthening its digital presence.”

He also stressed the need for state-owned media to prove their value in the public eyes. “Certain sections have begun questioning whether we need Gorkhapatra, The Rising Nepal and Nepal Television,” he said, asking, “How can we answer these questions if we cannot deliver the content and quality the people seek?”

Dr. Baikuntha Aryal, Secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, advised the management of Gorkhapatra Corporation, the publisher of TRN, to collaborate with other state-owned institutions like the Nepal Telecom to enhance its digital strength.

“Over the past 56 years, the technology and reader preferences have changed a lot. TRN must take heed of these changes and transform itself accordingly,” Aryal suggested.
Also speaking on the occasion, Bishnu Prasad Subedi, executive chairman of the Gorkhapatra Corporation, called TRN a school of English-language journalism and said that the paper carried a great legacy. “But now, we must march into the technological realm.”

He also shared that the Corporation management planned to hold trainings to enrich the staff’s capacity and informed that he was working on a master plan to develop Gorkhapatra and all its publications and build up its revenue sources.

Bhimsen Thapaliya, TRN’s acting editor-in-chief, shared how TRN staff worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and the restrictions, and Rajneesh Bhandari, a multimedia journalist, provided tips to the TRN and Gorkhapatra employees on how to go digital.