Kathmandu, Dec. 16: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki has said that the government-owned media houses should work by addressing the needs of changing society.

Addressing a special programme organised in Kathmandu on the occasion of the 56th anniversary of The Rising Nepal, a sister publication of Gorkhapatra, Minister Karki said, “As The Rising Nepal is a historic broadsheet newspaper, it is necessary for all the concerned authorities to make the paper livelier by addressing today’s needs.”

Extending best wishes to The Rising Nepal to develop itself as a medium to make an effect in the society by providing accurate information, Minister Karki stressed the need for everyone’s efforts to mark the presence and need of The Rising Nepal in the nation.

Speaking in the programme, Dr Baikuntha Aryal, secretary at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, said that it was vital for the publication to disseminate news in a faster and easier way in the days to come.

He also said that the Gorkhapatra Corporation should coordinate with organisations like Nepal Telecom to ensure a significant digital presence of its publications. “The ministry is always ready to facilitate smooth functioning of the mobile applications and web page of the publications of Gorkhapatra Corporation,” said secretary Aryal.

Similarly, speaking in the programme, Executive Chairman of Gorkhapatra Corporation Bishnu Prasad Subedi said that the 24 hours deadline of journalism had now shifted to 24 seconds deadline due to the current era of digitalisation.

“As the current era demands digital journalism, we have been lobbying with the ministry to ensure improvement in digitalisation of all the publications of Corporation by making an effective work plan,” said Chairman Subedi.