Following numerous misleading and false stories in the English language paper The Himalayan Times, the Nepal Press Council has taken historic action.
Over the period of 2024, more than 17 news articles appeared in print and online in the Nepal/ English publication The Himalayan Times, which alluded to false and misleading stories. These alleged wrong-doing by mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja and his companies Skydive Nimsdai and Elite Exped.
The Nepal Press Council formed a taskforce to investigate and create a report of their findings. This found that the Himalayan Times breached the Journalistic Code of Conduct, finding that the misinformation was printed ‘unilaterally and imbalanced, aimed at creating hatred and discrimination, and potentially causing damage to individuals.’ This is a historic step in Nepal. As a result, the Nepal Press Council has decided to blacklist the Himalayan Times and remove Government funded advertising.
In a letter of complaint to the Nepal Press Council in 2024, The Nimsdai Team stated they were never approached by The Himalayan Times before publication to provide information on any of the rumours – this led to the publication of false and misleading stories that brought the reputation of Nims and his companies into question.
When The Nimsdai Team provided evidence to the publication that a story was inaccurate, they did not amend the original articles, simply creating a new story, but with a misleading headlines and copy.
This string of articles had reputational implications for Elite Exped. In the autumn of 2024, following complaints from Elite Exped, the Nepal Press Council announced it was creating a task force to investigate The Himalayan Times and create a report on their findings. As part of this investigation, they asked both sides to submit evidence, as well as speaking to the Tourism Board to get evidence, and then the Press Council prepared a report.
The report (*which can be read in full in English here and in Nepali here) found that: 'the news has been published unilaterally/imbalanced, sequentially, it was to create hatred feeling upon some, creating discrimination, or to receive illicit benefit or cause damage to anyone, so the media was found breaching the norms of code so the taskforce had recommended that legal action can be taken against the media as it had breached the provision provided under Section 4(3) (1), 4(6)(1), 5(2) of the Journalist Code of Conduct, 2073 BS (2016 AD) (First Amendment, 2076 BS (2019 AD).’
‘So it was decided to charge the Himalayan Times Daily and thehimalayantimes.com and punish them pursuant to Section 7(1) (h) of the Journalist Code of Conduct, 2073BS (2016 AD) (First Amendment, 2076 BS (2019 AD) maintaining in record of disobedient/blacklisted, so the same details is hereby notified. Furthermore, it is also hereby queried by the council to the media that 'why you should not be isolated from the classification of the advertisement to be given to the media, why not to restrain you from receiving the welfare advertisement, including restriction from availing the any types of welfare advertisement to be provided by the Government of Nepal, including the facilities, so that you shall to face further action.’
