Nepal Investigative Multimedia Journalism Network (NIMJN) organized its third and final training on Humanitarian Crises and Disaster Reporting Using Solutions Journalism in Mulkot, Sindhuli, from February 11 to 13, 2025. Twenty-five journalists attended from nine districts across Nepal's Bagmati, Koshi, and Madhesh provinces. The training was supported by Humanity United (HU).
NIMJN's first training was organized in Lalitpur in December 2024, and the second in Panchthar in January 2025. In all, 75 journalists were trained in the three trainings.
The training focused on investigative reporting and solution journalism, understanding humanitarian crises and disasters, generating story ideas and hypotheses, multimedia storytelling, disaster-induced migration and displacement, and mental well-being, safety, security, and ethical concerns when reporting in the context of humanitarian crises and disasters.
NIMJN's Chief Editor, Rajneesh Bhandari, led sessions on investigative reporting, solution journalism, multimedia storytelling, and mobile journalism. He discussed national and international practices in these areas, showcasing the best examples to inspire participants. He also introduced the latest tools and techniques useful in investigative journalism and multimedia storytelling, including photo, video, and data visualization.
Sunita Chaudhary, Program Officer at NIMJN, clarified the concepts of humanitarian crises, disasters, and their associated terminologies, using relevant examples. She also facilitated a panel discussion with NIMJN fellows Bhagirathi Pandit and Ghanshyam Khadka, focusing on their disaster reporting experiences, challenges, and NIMJN's story production process from story pitching to data verification and publishing.
Shuphal Kafle, Copy Editor at NIMJN, led a session on generating story ideas and hypotheses related to humanitarian crises and disasters, providing essential information and data to support shaping these ideas. During the session, participants engaged in group discussions, developing and presenting hypotheses based on assigned disaster research reports. He also led a session on managing story production, emphasizing safe archiving tools and techniques and the safety, risk assessment, and ethical considerations for journalists reporting on humanitarian crises and disasters.
Meen Bahadur Paudyal Chettri, Ph.D., from the Nepal Centre for Disaster Management, led a session on disaster reporting issues. During this session, he discussed the disaster management cycle, the current state of disasters in Nepal, and the global context. He also highlighted key issues for journalists to address when covering humanitarian crises and disasters and the ethical and social behaviors that journalists must consider when reporting disaster situations.
Participants also went on a field visit to the disaster-affected area of Mulkot, where the Sunkoshi River has significantly disrupted residents' lives. During the visit, they observed the area, spoke with residents and authorities, and captured video footage of the disaster-affected regions for their mojo assignment.
After the field visit, Nirmal Lamichhane from the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health at Gandaki Teaching Hospital led a virtual mental health session. He discussed mental health, its causes, and the importance of addressing it. Lastly, he conducted a practical session teaching stress management techniques for the workplace, including breathing exercises, stretching, and meditation.
After all the sessions, the participants' videos were showcased for review, and feedback was provided to help them create better videos.
Here are some excerpts from participants regarding their experience in the training:
As journalists, we have worked for a long time, often focusing solely on words. However, times have changed, and the era of technology is here. We must adapt to survive and thrive. To learn technology, we must become accustomed to using it. The techniques and tools introduced in this training will help us in our careers. By embracing these methods, we set ourselves apart from others, making a stronger impact on society and policymakers. This will support our progress and help us move forward more effectively.
– Amrita Budhathoki, Bhaktapur
What I liked most about this training were the technical and practical sessions. I never found any sessions boring; they were engaging and interesting. We learned how to create short and compelling videos, as we typically make longer ones. Additionally, we gained valuable insights into international multimedia and journalism practices and disaster reporting by adapting to specific situations. I also found the concept of developing a hypothesis before reporting to be very insightful.
- Bishworaj Tamang, Udayapur
