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A protest organized by pro-monarchy supporters in Kathmandu turned violent and destructive. A mob systematically attacked the Annapurna Media Network (AMN) Tower at Tinkune, Kathmandu. The protest escalated quickly as individuals threw stones, breaking windows and attempting to ignite a fire inside the building. This vicious attack severely damaged the exterior of the AMN building and endangered the lives of the reporters as well as employees working inside. The incident has raised grave concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists in Nepal, particularly as AMN has long been a respected and independent media outlet committed to providing unbiased and reliable news.

In addition to targeting AMN, the protestors also set fire to and caused significant damage to several commercial and residential properties in the Tinkune area.

Annapurna Media Network is calling for immediate action from both the national and international communities to ensure the protection of journalists and the safeguarding of media institutions. This assault is being viewed as an attack on democratic values and free press, requesting global media rights organizations to strongly condemning the violence. AMN remains committed to its mission of responsible journalism but stresses the urgent need for collective efforts to protect press freedom in Nepal and prevent future attacks on media houses and other corporate entities. The General Manager of Annapurna Media Network condemned the act, stating, “The attack on a reputed media house is an act of terrorism. We strongly condemn such violent and terrorist activities against independent media organizations. We call upon national and international organizations to stand with us in solidarity, and we urge the government to take strict action against those responsible for this horrific act of violence.” AMN seeks the support of all relevant national and international entities to ensure justice and security for media professionals in Nepal.

Annapurna Media Network will be the media partner of UbuCon Aisa 2025, an international IT conference.

An agreement was reached on Thursday to be the official media partner of the conference during a ceremony held at the Tinkune-based headquarters of Annapurna Media Network.

AMN General Manager Manoj Basnet, Senior Marketing Manager Binod Koirala and UbuCon Nepal Chairman Aditya Singh, Secretary Roshan Pandey, Marketing Head Yush Pokharel jointly signed the agreement.

“We are proud to hold the international conference of IT UbuCon Asia in Nepal,” UbuCon Nepal Chairman Aditya Singh said, adding, “At the same time, we are more than happy that Annapurna Media has supported the young IT engineers.”

According to him, around 500 coding and software developers and IT company managers from across the world will take part in the event.

Open Source experts will also participate in the conference.

The event will be held in Kathmandu on August 30-31. This conference is the fourth edition.

It has already been held in South Korea, Indonesia and India.

Annapurna Media Network (AMN) has launched its annual subscription campaign, “Jasle Padchha, Awasya Parchha”, from Monday.

Readers renewing their subscription or becoming new annual subscribers to Annapurna Post and The Annapurna Express will receive guaranteed gifts upon subscribing.

The annual subscription fee for both newspapers is set at Rs 3,400 each. “Subscribers will receive gifts immediately upon subscribing,” said Krishna Bhakta Shrestha, Head of the Sales and Circulation Department at AMN.

According to Shrestha, annual subscribers will receive a voucher worth Rs 1,500 for Wonderland, where they can enjoy thrilling games, as well as a movie voucher from INI Cinemas.

Alternatively, subscribers can opt for scratch cards offering cash discounts ranging from Rs 500 to Rs 3,400, along with INI Cinemas movie vouchers and tickets for Annapurna Cable Car.

The campaign also offers exciting weekly and monthly prizes. Weekly lucky draw winners will receive OPPO mobile phones and Rs 5,000 vouchers for Tranquility Spa.

Monthly winners will be rewarded with washing machines and Rs 5,000 Tranquility Spa vouchers. The campaign, which is valid nationwide, will run for four months.

Miss Nepal 2023 Srichha Pradhan is to cooperate with the campaign conducted by Annapurna Media Network to raise public awareness about climate change.

Deego Pranali Pvt. Ltd, a sustainable lifestyle brand, which is active in raising public awareness on climate change by focusing on five elements (water, earth, fire, air, and aether), and Annapurna Media Network agreed to collaborate to internationalize the issue of climate change by raising public awareness.

Miss Nepal Pradhan is the founder of Deego Pranali.

The agreement was signed amidst a function organized at Corporate Tower,  Annapurna Media Network's headquarters, in Tinkune on Monday.

Manoj Basnet, General Manager of Annapurna Media Network, and Miss Nepal Pradhan signed the agreement.

The collaboration will last for one year.

Annapurna Media Network, under the Unity for Sustainability campaign, has been conducting a campaign to raise public awareness about climate change through media.

“I am very happy to be associated with Annapurna Media Network to work on the issue of climate change,” Pradhan said, adding, “Annapurna Media Network will have my full support to raise the issue of climate change and public awareness.”

She will inform the world about the activities conducted by Annapurna Media Network on climate change through national and international forums.

Annapurna Media Network General Manager Basnet claimed that the Unity for Sustainability campaign being conducted by Annapurna will be more effective with the support of Miss Nepal.

Pradhan will participate in the Miss World to be held next year.

Annapurna Media Network in collaboration with the American company Bi-Streams LLC opened its office in the United States.  

The office was opened in Gainesville, Virginia, USA.

Adrian Pokharel, Chairman of Bi-Streams LLC, inaugurated the office amidst a special function.

A DBA partnership agreement was signed between Annapurna Media Network and American company Bi-Streams LLC to launch the 'Annapurna Media Network-USA' in America.

The agreement was signed by Manoj Basnet, General Manager of Annapurna Media Network and Adrian Pokharel, Chairman of Bi-Streams LLC America and Director Sabina Khanal.

According to the agreement, the Annapurna Media Network’s bureau office will also remain in the same office.

Bi-Streams LLC is a company registered in Virginia, USA

The Commonwealth of Virginia State Corporation Commission had granted permission on September 25, 2024 had granted permission to Bi-Streams to operate the 'Annapurna Media Network USA' under the DBA.

“We have taken important steps to successfully launch the 'AMN USA' in America in collaboration with Bi-Streams LLC. This is an important opportunity to take our media network to new heights,” Bi-Streams LLC Chairman Adrian Pokharel said. “Our mission has always been clear. We always wanted to take Nepali media to the international platform, bring together the diaspora Nepalis community and take the materials produced in Nepal to the world,” he said.

“We want to connect the Nepali diaspora living in the US with Nepal under the 'AMN USA' and give easy access to news, radio, television, and other media content. After the operation of the office in America, Annapurna Media Network will soon be registered in the international media house,” Pokharel further said.

“Our future vision is to make Nepali media competitive at the international level,” he said, adding, “This will create opportunities for all of us.”

Annapurna Media Network General Manager Basnet said that the DBA collaborated with Bystream in the US as part of a campaign to make AMN an international brand.

The Annapurna Media Network has been operating media platforms such as Annapurna Post Daily, The Annapurna Express Daily, Radio Annapurna Nepal 94 MHz, Online News Portal Annapurna Post.com and AP1 Television among others.

Manoj Basnet has been appointed as the General Manager of Annapurna Media Network.

According to the decision of the management of the Annapurna Media Network, Basnet was appointed as the General Manager with effect from July 17.

Annapurna Media Network Chairman Captain Rameshwar Thapa, CEO Sanat Neupane and Editor-in-Chief Akhanda Bhandari welcomed the newly appointed General Manager Basnet amidst a special function held at the Annapurna Post on Wednesday.

Basnet, who entered the media industry through reporting as a district correspondent 17 years ago, has experience working in Kantipur Media Group and Annapurna Post.

Annapurna Post National Daily, Annapurna Express, AnnapurnaPost.Com, AP1 Television and Radio Annapurna are under the Annapurna Media Network.

Basnet has expertise in news reporting, sales, distribution, marketing, corporate strategy, performance management and brand management among others.

Basnet is a professional member of the American Marketing Association.

He is also associated with the International News Media Association (INMA).

Annapurna Express Editor Kamal Dev Bhattarai, Radio Annapurna News Head Bhupal Luintel, Accounts Head Sunil Paudel and HR Head Indu Shrestha among others were present on the occasion.

Press Council Nepal has directed sidhakura.com to remove a fake news published on April 26, 2024, claiming that the leadership of Annapurna Media Network and Kantipur Publications were part of a meeting involving sitting and former Supreme Court justices and senior lawyers to dismiss more than 400 corruption cases. The news portal has named Capt. Rameshwar Thapa, chairman of Annapurna Media Network (AMN), and Kailash Sirohiya, chairman of Kantipur Publications, as key members of the so-called high profile secret meeting.

The Press Council has instructed the news portal to take down the news and furnish clarification for publishing such malicious and fabricated content. The made-up report advertised to readers as ‘exclusive’ is aimed at damaging the reputation of the Supreme Court as well as the media houses, the press body said in a statement. It is in serious violation of Journalistic Code of Conduct, it added. The fabricated news has seriously undermined the constitutional court and has made serious allegations against justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai.

Earlier, on the same day, Thapa filed a case at Press Council Nepal. AMN Chairman Thapa said the so-called news was published with an ill intention to assassinate his character and to defame the media institutions associated with him.

“These are baseless and misleading rumours to manipulate the people and to serve some interest groups," he said. "The questionable content published under the garb of ‘exclusive sting operation’ was created with extreme prejudice and filled with illusionary characters. It was a desperate act to go viral.” 

Thapa further said that sidhakura.com  has crossed the ethical and moral boundaries of journalism by trying to discredit the media institutions that have always stood for democracy. It has also besmirched the sanctity of the Supreme Court, he added, demanding legal action against the news portal. AMN management has said that it is consultation with lawyers to seek legal remedies for the reputational damage through fabricated news.

Annapurna and Kantipur news outlets have been reporting news on Lamichhane’s alleged involvement in the misappropriation of funds from a financial cooperative.

Meanwhile, Supreme Court Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai said that he was surprised and shocked to see his name in the news published by sidhakura.

He said that his 43 years of judiciary journey is like an open book.

“The verdict of the case has already proved that I was not involved in the case,” reads a statement issued by Justice Bhattarai on Friday.

“I would also like to make it clear that when the  constitutional bench had issued the verdict on the case, I was not the member of the constitutional bench,” he said.

It is baseless that I had met someone or attended any meeting in the aforementioned issue.

I strongly condemned the news published with an ill intention to spread rumours and manipulate the people.

The Press Council has urged the Tourism Ministry to take action against the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal for trying to curtail the freedom of press and expression and editorial freedom.

Saying that the CAAN’s move to seek clarification directly to the operator of the Annapurna Post daily over the news published in the newspaper is a violation of the prevailing laws and regulations, the Council has written to the concerned ministry.

Stressing that authority to write and publish news and editorials rests with editors, not investors, the Council said that the Authority’s decision to seek clarification by linking the publisher with another business is against the existing law and practice.

Earlier on August 18, the Authority had sent a letter asking clarification with Simrik Air Chairman Captain Rameshwar Thapa, who is also the Chairman of the AMN, over news published in Annapurna Post daily under the Annapurna Media Network.

The clarification letter states that AMN has repeatedly disseminated news, analyses, and comments that gravely undermine flight safety. The letter further points out that despite Capt Thapa’s role as the head of an airline company responsible for upholding flight safety, he seems to have misused his publishing rights through his media outlet, engaging in misleading and rumor-spreading activities.

ALSO READ: CAAN’s anti-press freedom move draws criticisms

 Later, the Annapurna Media Network filed an application at the Press Council saying that the individuals and organizations dissatisfied with media reports can move the press council.

Concluding that the Authority’s move has infringed the freedom of press and expression, a meeting of the Code of Conduct Monitoring Sub-Committee of the Council held on Tuesday drew the attention of the Ministry.

Saying that the clarification sought with the Annapurna Media Network was not in accordance with the law, the meeting has decided to inform the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Council Deputy Spokesperson and Information Officer Ram Sharan Bohara said.

“The content published or broadcast in the media falls under editorial responsibility,” the letter sent to the Ministry by the Council states. There is a provision to move the Press Council if the individuals or the organizations are dissatisfied with the media reports.

The Council said that its serious attention has been drawn over the Authority’s move to seek direct clarification from the publisher.

Earlier on July 31, the Authority had made a decision not to operate flights after 12 noon in the 29 airports of remote areas. Owing to the Authority’s such decision, patients with serious health conditions could not go outside the district for treatment.

Because of which, four children lost their lives in Humla.

Following the incident, the Annapurna Post daily covered news about the problems the Karnali Province people have been facing after the Authority prohibited the flights after 12 noon in hilly districts.

The Karnali Province government, lawmakers, civil society and entrepreneurs piled pressure on the Authority to correct its decision.

ALSO READ: CAAN move condemnable

On August 17, the Authority quashed its earlier decision regarding air flights.

But on August 18, the Authority sought clarification with the publisher over the news published in the newspaper.

The decision of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) to seek clarification over news published in Annapurna Post daily is an attack on freedom of speech and expression, experts have said. 

They are of the view that CAAN, a regulatory body of Nepal’s civil aviation sector, is not authorized to seek clarification on the issues related to news stories. Of late, Post and its sister publications had been publishing  a series of stories regarding the new rules of CAAN that are discouraging the aviation sector.  

Balkrishna Basnet, chairperson of Press Council Nepal, says it is the council’s jurisdiction to examine the authenticity of news, not CAAN’s. “The letter issued to Annapurna Media Network by CAAN seeking clarification about news stories is unacceptable to the media fraternity.”

There is a constitutional and legal provision enabling responses to media reports. If such responses are not published, individuals can lodge complaints with the Press Council Nepal. 

 “The Press Council will carefully examine and inquire into instances where the media’s published materials do not meet expectations,” says Basnet. 

Editorial freedom in media pertains to the autonomy of publishers in making decisions free from external interference. This encompasses editors’ independence to determine content and coverage. An integral facet of editorial independence is its role to act as a barrier against undue influence, be it from owners or external parties, when it comes to editorial choices and what gets published or broadcast. This becomes particularly relevant when media outlets publish content that may not align with advertisers’ preferences or owners’ viewpoints.

It is a well-known fact that Nepal’s geographical remoteness poses extreme challenges for accessing health services and transporting food. They have no choice but to rely on air services for these essential services. 

But CAAN has enforced a policy suspending air services in remote districts after 12 pm starting July 31. This decision has had serious repercussions in remote and mountainous regions of Nepal. Tragically, due to the absence of air services, four children in remote regions of Karnali province recently lost their lives. They could not get timely medical attention due to the new CAAN policy.

After Annapurna Post, a sister publication of ApEx, reported about the hardship faced by the people living in remote hinterlands of Nepal, the issue garnered significant attention. Media outlets, such as BBC, Kantipur, and Radio Nepal, also covered similar news stories, emphasizing the need for prompt government intervention to resume essential air services in remote regions of the country.

Despite appeals from the chief minister of Karnali province, the federal minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, political leaders, and local representatives, CAAN Director General Pradeep Adhikari decided not to lift the air service restrictions. Instead, the CAAN decided to go against the media for exposing his misguided and callous decision.

The clarification letter states that AMN has repeatedly disseminated news, analyses, and comments that gravely undermine flight safety. The letter further points out that despite Capt Thapa’s role as the head of an airline company responsible for upholding flight safety, he seems to have misused his publishing rights through his media outlet, engaging in misleading and rumor-spreading activities. 

Senior advocate Bijay Gupta says that the news covered by the Annapurna Post was about the effects of flight suspension. “It’s what the media should do.”

These actions, as stated in the letter, conflict with the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2053 BS and the associated regulations, requirements, manuals, and other standards outlined by the authority.

But experts maintain that while CAAN has the capacity to regulate airspace, it has no right to encroach on editorial freedom.

Bipul Pokharel, president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists, emphasizes that the media conveys information in alignment with their principles, benefiting from editorial independence and direction. “Individuals without relevant involvement should not become the focus of clarification or measures based on edited content,” he adds.

Clause (b) of section 7 in the Press Council Act of 2048 BS stipulates that the journalist code of conduct of 2073 BS, endorsed by the Federation of Nepalese Journalists, emphasizes the importance of upholding editorial freedom. According to this provision, the code establishes that editors bear ultimate responsibility and control over news collection, editing, production, presentation, and distribution. Aligned with the global principle of editorial independence, the code underscores that media outlets and journalists must have the freedom to gather, publish, and express information, opinions, and perspectives without external pressure or influence.

As pointed out by legal experts, Capt Thapa holds leadership roles within three distinct organizations, each governed by separate laws. Hence, it is inappropriate for CAAN to conflate Thapa’s roles and seek an explanation for news published in his newspaper while linking it to his involvement with Simrik Air. Capt Thapa’s roles in Simrik and Annapurna are separate, and experts believe that CAAN Director General Adhikari has committed a constitutional and legal misstep.

The authority to write and publish news and editorials rests with editors, not investors. If dissatisfied with news coverage, individuals or organizations concerned should approach the relevant journalist or editor to present a rebuttal, or file a complaint with the Press Council Nepal.

Simrik Air functions as a separate company. “In accordance with the Companies Act of 2063, individuals are legally permitted to establish a company to achieve objectives specified in the memorandum of association, either independently or collectively,” says senior lawyer Jagadish Dahal. Pursuant to the Companies Act, Capt Thapa assumed the position of chair for Simrik Air, he says that there is another distinct law that governs the selection of the Airline Operators Association's president. 

“As CAAN DG Adhikari has committed a series of unconstitutional moves, he should step down from the post on an ethical ground,” says Dahal. “According to the Publication and Printing Act, Capt Thapa undertook the role of the AMN chair as a mere investor, meaning he does not exert editorial control over published content.” 

Dahal adds CAAN cannot address the chairperson of different organizations in the same way, though the individual may be the same. “There is no legal provision for CAAN to interfere.”

The FNJ has also warned the Civil Aviation Authority to immediately withdraw the clarification sought over the news published in the Annapurna Post daily. The FNJ concluded that asking for clarification in an illegal way is objectionable and against the constitutional concept of press freedom, reads a letter issued by FNJ General Secretary Roshan Puri on Aug 21.

The federation has also warned the CAAN to withdraw the clarification asked in an illegal way by respecting the constitutionally-guaranteed rights to expression and press freedom.