PAKISTAN READER

Siddhi Halyur Siddhi Halyur is an undergraduate from St. Joseph's University currently interning at NIAS.

On 30 April, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released the World Press Freedom Index on the state of media freedom globally. As per the report, Nepal ranks 87 out of 180 countries in the 2026, with a score of 54.80, lower than its last year’s score of 55.20. Overall, the country has moved up three spaces in the index. Nepal’s strongest indicator is its legal indicator, ranking at 59. Security indicator is Nepal’s lowest ranking, positioned at 125 of 180. 

Following are the three major takeaways on Nepal’s media landscape in 2026 based on the RSF report.
 
1. Political constraints weakens editorial autonomy 
Political influence over media is one of the primary reasons for restricted media independence. Its political indicator rank is 68 out of 180 with a score of 51.56. The country has more than 4,900 printed publications, 1,193 radio stations, 246 TV channels, and more than 4,600 news sites. The environment is gradually changing to accommodate the media landscape, but it still faces challenges. The government of Nepal owns one of the most prominent newspapers and wields the authority to appoint the editors for the two most-read newspapers, Gorkhapatra and Rising Nepal. This results in weakened editorial independence. Papers run by state-appointed editors often refrain from expressing dissent against the government. Political influence in the media sector also shapes media outlets’ affiliation with political parties and their reporting biases. 

2. Lack of active legal protection contradicts the freedom of the press
Nepal’s constitution states that the country ensures “full freedom of the press” in its preamble. However, in practice, the country does not offer the same. One of the major reasons for this discrepancy is the absence of a fully independent press council. Excess government intervention directly contradicts the freedom of the press. Journalists are legally vulnerable due to the 2018 penal code provisions. The provision restricts the criticism of public figures and hinders investigative journalism. Cases on corruption, abuse of authority, or public misconduct remain underreported due to this handicap. It also leads to self-censorship. As journalists are worried about the impact their reporting would have on their careers. To avoid legal action or harassment, the media often avoids mentioning influential names or investigating these individuals. This cannot be considered censorship but a part of that. 

3. Lack of funding cause economic insecurity
Nepal ranks 87th out of 180 in the economic indicator with a score of 47.33, a result of an unstable media economy. Journalists and media outlets lack financial stability. Their lack of income directly impacts the information they dispense. A lack of funding affects salaries, equipment, legal backing, and travel budgets, which eventually shuts the media house down. Journalist wage protections are scarcely implemented in the country. Under the Working Journalists Act, journalists are entitled to a minimum wage, which is often denied to them. Nepal’s media outlets are also heavily dependent on government advertising. The government extends major support to outlets that are pro-government, imposing indirect pressure on outlets to lean towards the government funding. This atmosphere has also led to young individuals avoiding journalism as a line of work and many active journalists to leave the poorly paid profession. 

References
“Reporters Without Borders, World Press Freedom Index, Nepal,” Reporters Sans Frontieres, 30 April 2026
“Court Orders Media To Remove Published News,” Freedom Forum, 14 May 2026 

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