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This is a challenging time for legacy media. As an editor, I frequently encounter concerns about the financial health of media houses. It is evident that society is becoming increasingly aware of the problems that the media industry is facing. Traditional media outlets are in the midst of an existential crisis, as both advertisers and audiences are migrating to digital platforms. 

Historically, the media has weathered technological shifts. The rise of radio in the 1920s did not significantly impact print, and radio itself managed to survive the television era despite visual’s strong appeal. However, the emergence of digital platforms is different; it is pushing all traditional media to the brink. This is why legacy media are now desperately working to develop a viable blueprint for survival. At this point, the primary goal for legacy media is to survive, if not thrive. To this end, for better or worse, they are working on two broad areas.

First, they are restructuring newsrooms to reduce staffing and administrative costs. While most layoffs have already been carried out, the new model, referred to as the integrated newsroom, is still taking shape. At the same time, media houses are exploring alternative revenue streams, as income from traditional sources, particularly advertisement, is fast declining. The idea of integrating radio, television and print newsrooms into a single space has gained momentum since the 2000s. In principle, it holds promise, especially if the goal is to foster collaboration among journalists across platforms, thereby enriching content. However, if the integration is pursued purely to cut costs, it risks undermining the very strengths of radio, television and print in the long run.

We must recognize that radio, television and print each have unique characteristics that have enabled them to survive for over a century. While they may report on similar issues, each platform has its own style of storytelling, audience engagement and distinct target audience. For instance, radio content often caters to both literate and illiterate audiences. This is something print and television may not fully accommodate. Delivering the same content across all platforms may offer short-term financial relief, but it will ultimately weaken the media’s overall impact. In Nepal, some experiments have already been done and they have been proved harmful rather than good outcomes in terms of securing the advertisement. 

Consider this: why did radio survive in the age of television? Because it offered something television could not. It had unique strengths that remained relevant despite the appeal of video. Over sixty years ago, Marshall McLuhan introduced the ‘medium is the message’ concept, suggesting that the characteristics of a communication medium influence how messages are perceived. Applying this idea today, we must be cautious about full-scale integration which may reduce costs marginally but compromise content quality and diversity in the long term.

International experiences show that poorly executed integration often leads to generic, homogenized content, sacrificing depth and specialization. In reality, if a media house is committed to delivering quality content, integrated newsrooms offer limited cost savings; perhaps only in administrative overheads or rent. In some cases, integration has even led to revenue losses, as clients are unwilling to pay separately for nearly identical content across platforms.

In the pursuit of financial sustainability, media houses are now experimenting with new revenue models. However, they are still unsure which model works best in Nepal.  Globally, dozens of new models are being tested, but most are still in the experimental stage. One thing is clear: While no alternative has matched the scale of advertising revenue, these new streams are providing a crucial lifeline for media houses, at least for survival. The Nepali context is even more complex. While internationally available revenue models can be useful for academic discussions, they may not be practical in Nepali society. A copy-paste approach to these models risks losing existing readers and audiences, especially if implemented without a clear understanding of Nepali society and its media consumption patterns.

Since the late 16th century, advertising has remained the dominant source of income for media; first for print, and later for television, radio and digital platforms. In addition, the print industry has long relied on subscription and circulation models, while television adopted the pay-TV model. The late 1940s saw the rise of advertorial content—paid content blending advertising and editorial, which, while still present, now contributes far less to overall revenue.

Advertisement continues to be the main revenue source for both legacy and digital media. However, the advertising landscape has changed significantly. Ads are now spread across both journalistic and non-journalistic platforms, ending the long-standing monopoly of legacy media. As a result, advertising alone can no longer sustain either traditional or digital outlets. This is not just a crisis of legacy media; it also affects digital media. That is why media organizations are desperately seeking to adopt new revenue models already in use internationally. Let’s consider the current revenue crisis and examine the strengths and weaknesses of some emerging models. One income stream that Nepali media houses have increasingly embraced is organizing events focused on political, economic and social issues.

Both legacy and digital outlets have generated substantial revenue from these events. Many advertisers now prefer sponsoring such events over placing traditional ads. While this approach is not new or particularly innovative, it has become competitive, with media outlets vying to host high-profile events to generate income. Another growing trend is video advertising, particularly through social media platforms. The volume of digital advertisements is gradually increasing. Some outlets are earning respectable sums from platforms like YouTube and Facebook though some legal hassles remain. Even small revenue from these platforms is offering much-needed support to struggling media houses.

Over the past few years, there has been a debate about the feasibility of a paywall subscription model in Nepal. While the online news portal Setopati has implemented this model, another popular portal Onlinekhabar remains hesitant due to fear that it may lose readership. We, at Annapurna Media Network, are also considering this model. However, we have concluded that further preparation and deliberation are necessary before moving forward.

Broadly speaking, digital platforms offer two types of subscription models: premium where users pay to access content, and freemium where basic content is free and only select content is behind a paywall. The paywall model cannot succeed without ensuring consistent quality in both text and video content. Readers will not be willing to pay for content that is superficial or poorly produced. Without significantly scaling up our current content, this model is likely to fail. At the same time, we must avoid the mistake of comparing ourselves with international media. The fact is that only a small segment of the Nepali population is willing to pay for content, even when it is of high quality.

A close study of quality content produced by media houses shows that very few people are actually reading it. One major reason is that the private sector, intellectuals, academia and society as a whole have become highly politicized and polarized. As a result, a wider section of the population tends to consume partisan and biased news that reinforces their perceptions and views rather than content that is accurate, balanced and impartial. While Nepal’s population is not small, the country’s economic conditions limit people’s ability and willingness to pay for news content. In short, the first major challenge is to consistently produce high-quality content tailored to different segments of the population.

As mentioned earlier, there is no lack of revenue models; the real challenge lies in identifying which models are suitable for our context. Potential models include live streaming, monetizing content through social media, generating income from memberships and newsletters, corporate social responsibility (CSR) support from businesses and funding from international organizations, among others. Unlike in the past, no single platform or model now dominates the media landscape. The only viable way forward, therefore, is to adopt a mix of revenue sources. Doing so, however, requires a broad strategic plan and upfront investment in these diverse areas. Since advertising alone cannot sustain media houses, it is time to re-imagine how they operate.

One bold step could be to transform media houses into non-profit entities, which would enable them to seek contributions from various sectors of society to support media sustainability. However, the current ownership structure may limit the ability to implement all possible revenue-generating models. Over the past three decades, Nepali media have rarely embraced innovation or entrepreneurship, primarily because they could rely on steady income from advertising. They also did little to engage with or respond to readers’ preferences and feedback. Today, innovation, entrepreneurship and the ability to adapt to changing expectations of readers are not just optional; they are essential for survival.

The latest havoc caused by the landslide and flood along the Nepal-China border in Rasuwa is a stark reminder yet again of just how vulnerable Nepal is to climate-induced disasters, particularly those that originate beyond our national boundaries. Nine deceased, 19 individuals still missing, infrastructure damaged, and critical trade routes disturbed, the nation is left scrambling to respond yet again—while the fundamentals continue to be poorly grasped and inadequately tackled.

What is particularly alarming about this incident is its suspected cause: a possible glacial lake outburst or other geophysical event in China's Tibetan area. While definitive evidence has not been established, the absence of significant precipitation in the area, experts say, strongly suggests transboundary factors like glacial lake bursts, avalanches or damming floods. This is a sobering reason for alarm about the present level of cross-border cooperation on early warning systems and disaster preparedness.

Nepal has treated transboundary climate hazards as environmental or diplomatic afterthoughts for too long. However, with their increasing frequency and intensity—fueled by climate change—it is time to treat them as national security risks worthy of diplomatic urgency and institutional overhaul.

Nepal and China share trade and infrastructure ties but with a remarkable lack of coordinated disaster risk management. The lack of an effective, real-time information-sharing system between the two countries significantly undermines Nepal's preparedness or response to such disasters. The Rasuwa flash flood would have been less deadly if Nepal had been alerted on time and offered data from the Chinese side.

The government is right to engage the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to resume damaged infrastructure and reopen border points. However, what Nepal needs now is an official and binding mechanism with China for sharing climate and disaster data—particularly pertaining to glacial lake behavior, river flow and weather patterns in Tibet.

The Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Home, and Environment must work together to institutionalize cross-border climate risk cooperation with China and other neighbors, perhaps through multilateral forums.

Nepal must also invest in its own satellite monitoring capability, early warning dissemination and localized disaster preparedness, especially along border regions. The needs for trained human resources, reliable equipment and community-based alert systems have never been more pressing.

We are confronted with a new era of transboundary climate threats. Confronting them requires not just salvation in a crisis, but political will, regional collaboration, and investment in infrastructure and science over the long haul. The cost of inaction, as we have seen yet again, is measured in lives lost and futures destroyed.

Let us stop thinking of disasters as arbitrary calamities and start thinking of them as predictable consequences of a warming planet—and plan accordingly.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of a sudden flash flood along the Nepal-China border that caused extensive damage. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority have ruled out rainfall as the cause, suggesting instead that a glacial lake outburst flood in Tibet may be responsible. At least 10 people have died, with several others still missing. The flood swept away the Nepal-China Friendship Bridge, a critical link between the two countries, prompting the Nepali government to seek Chinese assistance for reconstruction. While bilateral trade may face temporary disruptions, officials expect no major supply shortages. With the monsoon season ongoing, authorities remain on high alert for further floods and landslides, and movement has been restricted in some areas due to blocked highways.

In political developments, the meeting of the Nepali Congress’s Central Working Committee (CWC) is underway after a nine-month hiatus. Leaders discussed the party’s general convention, intra-party democracy, and government performance. While some leaders expressed dissatisfaction, there was no opposition to the current coalition, a major relief for Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The NC also took disciplinary action against several leaders accused of undermining the party’s official candidates in the 2022 elections, a move criticized by supporters of senior leader Shekhar Koirala as a violation of party statute. Meanwhile, the CWC is expected to finalize a date for the party’s general convention, though President Sher Bahadur Deuba opposes holding it immediately.

Meanwhile, the CPN-UML is preparing for a statute convention to revise policies rather than leadership. Former President Bidhya Devi Bhandari’s return to active politics has shifted internal dynamics, with early signs pointing toward reconciliation between her and Oli. However, her planned post-monsoon tours could stir unease within the party, particularly regarding ongoing debates over age and term limits. The NC has raised objections to Bhandari’s political re-entry, with Deuba arguing that former heads of state should refrain from partisan politics.

Meanwhile, the Nagarik Unmukti Party’s withdrawal of support from the NC-UML coalition is unlikely to threaten the government’s majority, though legal experts are divided on whether Prime Minister Oli must seek a fresh vote of confidence. 

On constitutional matters, little progress has been made since the NC and UML agreed over a year ago to initiate amendments. The NC has now formed a committee to identify necessary changes, though experts argue that amendments should follow a review of the constitution’s implementation, a step yet to be taken. Meanwhile, rumors of a UML-Maoist merger resurfaced, prompting the Maoist to deny any such plans. Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal acknowledged talks with smaller communist parties but clarified that no discussions with UML have taken place.

A recent Supreme Court ruling validating 53 constitutional appointments without parliamentary hearings has drawn criticism for undermining constitutionalism. While the UML supports the decision, other parties, including the NC and Maoists, have objected, reigniting calls for a dedicated constitutional court. 

A parliamentary committee has been formed to investigate irregularities in amending the Federal Civil Service Bill’s cooling-off provision, with a report expected within 21 days.

On the economic front, Nepal’s economy remains sluggish despite declining inflation, with remittances being the sole bright spot. Merchandise exports surged by 77.8 percent in the first 11 months of the fiscal year 2024-25, driven by a 112.6 percent increase in trade with India. Attention now turns to the upcoming monetary policy, with Governor Bishwo Poudel under pressure to deliver solutions.

In other news, former King Gyanendra Shah celebrated his 80th birthday privately amid renewed but waning pro-monarchy sentiment. Sources indicate his frustration with Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairperson Rajendra Lingden’s leadership. 

Sitting me down, my father passionately recounts the story of his childhood—how he walked an hour up a steep-rugged road just to reach school. For him, receiving education at that time was a distant dream fraught with all sorts of hardships; an idea of a sense of fulfillment. Alien to such an experience, his story gives me a layered understanding of his world of the yore.  

Reflecting on his story, I am contrasted between his experiences of thought and mine. The world is shaped by the instant world of information bombarding today. The world we live in is “participatory culture” Henry Jenkins states in Convergence Culture: where old and new media collide (2006). Stalder (2006) writes about unlimited accessibility to information materials achieved with just one finger tip by referencing Manuel Castell, adding that youth culture develops in the spaces of flow.  

To read and write is no longer a confined dream now, but a hand to hand willing-reality that all of us can tap on anytime with virtual classrooms, webinars, youtube channels, podcasts and content creations awaiting us, eager to deliver information and knowledge.   

The digital space has brought everyone closer to reality and altered our lives. The more advanced technologies have become, the more of our identity sharing and building connections. Social media apps such as Tik Toks, Facebook, Instagram provide us with an opportunity to show and to be seen. Smartphones use advances more for our comfort. The sharing culture has made the world a global village (Easa, 2019) as we can connect with friends by sitting in opposite corners of the world and discussing similar contents. Yuval Noah Harari points out in Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2015): For the first time in history, young people all over the world listen to the same music, watch the same movies and idolize the same celebrities. This reinforces the idea of a sharing culture that, according to Anthony Giddens  (Runaway World, 1999) fosters similar values that bind us with a single framework of aspiration.  

As people moved to online spaces, the concept of global consumer culture widened and things that were brands in the 60s or 70s remained no longer a brand. As many changes occurred including the choices and tastes of people, certain names like Nike, Apple, Netflix, k-pop became a global brand that established themselves with an identity. This “identity” as identified by Zygmunt Bauman in Liquid Modernity (2000) is constructed more from shared consumer cultures than inherited traditions.
Today’s youths are shaped more by smartphones, which makes them more inclusive, individualistic and anxious (Schmitt, 2023). They have started to become more vocal about contemporary issues as movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo have shown. 

At the same time, the Arab Spring is a testament showcasing the power of a globalized culture to come together for a purpose with social media acting as a fundamental tool for protests and advocacy.  

Moreover, this distinct psychological nature shaped by the media among youths has made them approach things in life flexibly. 

On certain aspects of the society such as marriage, gender issues and career choices, youths are more likely seen as liberalists. For them, finding love is important, daughters are not a burden and nor are family business responsibilities as they have the confidence to carve out their own life paths. 

Local Knowledge: Further Essays in Interpretive Anthropology (1973) by Clifford Geertz emphasizes the importance of understanding culture through the lens of local, specific contexts, rather than relying on broad generalizations. The integration, therefore, implies intergenerational beliefs and thoughts. 

When I listen intuitively to my father’s story of what he used to do in the past, I only sense that I was born in a time when the internet was booming. I don’t decline his lived experiences but they don’t resonate with me because they seem distant to me at this time. Hence, I agree to disagree—not in the act of defiance but in the act of forging a networked co-existing path shaped by a dialogue, respect and discussion. Our world lenses are not much different but it’s just that we see the world differently.