Kathmandu, July 13: The government has appointed journalist and fact-checker Umesh Shrestha as the new Chairman of Press Council Nepal.
The appointment was approved by the Cabinet following a recommendation from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, filling the vacant leadership position at the council.
Earlier, the Ministry had invited applications from eligible candidates for the post. Following the open competition selection process, the ministry shortlisted 10 candidates for interviews and presentations.
The shortlisted candidates were Umesh Shrestha, Kedarnath Koirala, Govinda (Akhanda) Prasad Bhandari, Janak Nepal, Numa Kanta Paudel, Bal Krishna Chapagain, Bhuwan Prasad Acharya, Rudra Bahadur Khadka, Lekhnath Naupane, and Shanta Ram Bidari.
The post became vacant after the government issued an ordinance that removed all office bearers of the council, including former Chairman Kumar Sharma Acharya, a senior advocate.
Press Council Nepal is the country’s statutory media regulatory body, responsible for promoting ethical journalism and serving as a coordinating institution between the government and the media.
Before his appointment, Shrestha served as the editor of NepalFactCheck, where he focused on fact-checking and combating misinformation.
He holds a master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Tribhuvan University and has spent recent years working as a fact-checker and media trainer.
He has worked with print publications, including City Times, Apsara Weekly, and Space Time Daily. Shrestha also founded the online news portal Parewa.com and launched Mysansar, one of Nepal’s first blog site. He continues to write on Mysansar under the pen name “Salokya.”
He has also held editorial leadership positions at Nagarik News, Annapurna Post Online, and PahiloPost.com. #nepal
