Kantipur

The Kantipur daily is the first private-run broadsheet daily in Nepal. Multiparty democracy had just been restored in the country when the paper rolled out in February 1993. Since then, the paper has striven to keep the public updated on current affairs, stir discussion and protect democratic values, including human rights and the rule of law. It is the go-to source for credible news, features and critical analysis. With a daily readership of 2.88 million Nepalis, Kantipur is the largest and the most influential daily in the country.

Since April 1993, the paper has been publishing a Saturday special called ‘Koseli’, in which readers can find feature articles, short stories, poetry and book reviews. Another weekend adjunct, ‘Kopila’ (first out in March 2001) focuses on stories about children for children. It tries to enhance children’s reading ability and creativity, and on increasing their access to information. The latest special feature to be incorporated is ‘Hello Shukrabar’ (since 2008), which tries to satiate the hunger for information of the young demographic.

Kantipur is concurrently published from Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Bharatpur and Nepalgunj. Each of these regional offices produces their own regional editions. Outside the country, Kantipur publishes a weekly edition from Qatar, entitled ‘Kantipur Gulf Weekly’, (since January 2007). The weekly attempts to keep the growing Nepali diaspora in the Gulf countries informed about the latest developments in Nepal.

Kantipur has more than 100 reporters in all corners of the country. In India, the paper has a Delhi bureau, which reports on Nepal-India relations and on the issues of Nepalis in India. It also has dedicated reporters in Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Sidney, Doha, Brussels, London and New York.

Kantipur has always fought to safeguard people’s right to right information. Its reportage have held the powerful accountable–whether it be during unlawful dissolutions of parliament or during autocratic times. Attempts to muzzle the paper, either through court suits and summons or through a blockade, have been made, but the paper has remained firm in its belief in freedom of expression and information. It vows to continue to perform the role of the fourth estate, with more substantial and investigative stories in the future.