Investigative Journalism has a mission of digging out truth and diagnosing deep-rooted problems in the human society. Investigative journalists’ work is different from normal reporting. It challenges those wishing to remain latent operators of society. It, therefore, is a highly challenging responsibility.
Many journalists in Nepal still feel extremely insecure to practice practice their journalistic profession in a truthful manner. They believe there are many barriers to practicing journalistic principles and ethics in favor of the majority of the working class people. In fact, the working class people are the ones named frequently by Nepali politicians, who actually devote themselves to the interests and priorities of elitist politics. Consequently, democracy has always been hijacked. So has press freedom.
Due to the nexus between politicians and criminal gangs in the country, journalists usually face life threats from smuggling and other criminal gangs. This situation has led away the mainstream as well as alternative journalists from the required level of investigative journalism practice.
However, it does not mean that Nepali journalists have completely ignored the need of investigative journalism practices. They find it more comfortable to carry out their investigative journalism focusing on environmental, gender and economic issues. Due to all-pervasive ill-governance and corruption in all tiers of state systems, journalists are well aware that the state cannot protect them. In this context, what is strikingly true is the fact that they fear most irresponsible state mechanisms more than criminal gangs.
It is natural for Nepali journalists to fear the state to such a degree because they sort of believe that the state protects criminal gangs rather than truth-digging investigative journalists. This is perhaps one of the major causes why Nepali journalists shft their focus on to other issues despite the rapid expansion of crime industry in the country.
If one goes through the news coverage of the Nepali media, both electronic and print, one will find so many news stories of rape, kidnap, robbery, murder, money laundering, smuggling and more. Searchers will also discover from the news cover that most of such incidents often happen with the help of underground forces within state mechanisms. It is not difficult to understand that such underground state mechanisms serving crime industries definitely put more threats to investigative journalists. This may be another considerable cause for hesitation to become investigative journalists.
Several senior Nepali journalists, who have been in the media sector for more than 25 years, say they have not become professional investigative journalists because no appropriate environment exists there. But they admit that they have also practiced investigative journalism in different forms and to different degrees.
Nepali journalists have seen certain efforts to recognize the importance of investigative journalism. For instance, two workshops were held in 2006: one in Pokhara and the other in lalitpur. But the theme was more concerned with theoretical approaches to interpreting corruption than with the accelerating process of criminalization within state mechanisms. However, showing interest in investigative journalism should be considered positive.
Some books on investigative journalism written by Nepali journalists can be found in the books. For example, khoj Patrakarita (Investigative Journalism) written by Mohan Mainali and Binod Bhattarai, Dharap (ambush) edited by Basanta Thapa and Mohan Mainali, and Bigreko Bato (Spoilt Path) edited by Kedar Sharma.
So far, the state (most Nepalis don’t believe there exists a state in Nepal) has done much to discourage Nepali journalists as far as investigative journalism and free media practice in general are concerned. But the possibility of practicing investigative journalism through public networks strongly exists. The question is how to create and strengthen public networks that can safeguard and promote investigative journalism. For this, powerful media institutions that include not only the mass media in general but also the Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) and other media NGOs.
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