Considering its impact on a large number of people and the sensitivity the profession entails, journalism is a challenging job. The evolution of digital technologies and solutions has further deepened the challenges, as one has to combat the floods of misinformation, malinformation, and disinformation. The 24-hour job has its allegiance to society and public interest, responsibility to inform, educate and entertain the masses and conduct surveillance of the environment to check the untoward, and accountability for every performance. What is alarming is that many journalists and media persons do not realise this sensitivity and the demands of their profession.
The evolution of digital technology in media and mass communication has created both opportunities and risks. Adherence to the code of conduct, respect for the privacy of individuals, and responsible use of freedom of expression and opinion have now greater importance in the field. This is instrumental in upholding the freedom of the press – one of the fundamental rights in democracies. Cut-throat competition among the media and platforms and the race to beat the other by speed in delivering information have now resulted in sensationalisation of news information, biases and negligence of journalists' code of conduct.
However, Stephan Russ-Mohl and Tanjev Schulz, in their book 'Journalism in the Digital Age', mention that journalism as a profession is going through a sea change, as the large corporate media houses and legacy media have now further heightened the qualifications of journalists in their hiring, slashing down the number of journalists and hiring young content creators is gaining momentum. Meanwhile, experienced journalists are increasingly attracted to digital platforms like YouTube and Instagram and leaving traditional media channels, as such media are 'not paying enough'. This failure to keep experienced journalists with them has serious repercussions for the media, both in terms of information creation and management.
The book offers some solutions to the challenges faced by the contemporary news media and journalists. While maintaining good journalism practices in the age of information blizzards and influencers has become a tedious task, journalists have to be vigilant twenty-four-seven and have to struggle to maintain balance between speed and accuracy.
In such a scenario, Russ-Mohl and Schulz have prescribed some remedies for the reporters, editors/gatekeepers and journalistic content writers. Journalism is not only about writing news but also about interviews, editorials, reportage, features, portraits, obituaries and product profiles, they remind. Experienced journalists also write columns and opinion pieces as well as commentaries on current and controversial issues.
One of the strengths of the book is the dissection of the news values for contemporary society. These include negativity and positivity in the news, human interest and sentiments, dynamics of centrality, authority and prominence, proximity and relevancy, and timeliness and continuity. Similarly, it discusses in depth the tendency of lifting news information from other media on the internet and publishing on one's own platform.
The essence of journalism is research and investigation about every event, happening and claim. Journalists need to get along with the people, consult the documents and might also need to use various databases and applications to verify the information that reaches to them from various sources. Publishing news as received by him/her might do more harm than good, although the recent practice of quasi-journalism has been a boon for the section of journalists who enjoy armchair journalism. It has also been helping the 'self-employment media' – a distorted type of media ownership seen recently in Nepal – with the content of everyday events.
Meanwhile, social media platforms have created additional pressures to the journalists to disseminate news information instantly. As every channel has expanded its online presence, competition has become multi-faceted, and it demands constant attention and dedication.
The authors also prescribe the structure for comprehensive writing, which should be simple, well organised, straightforward, and impactful. It is crucial not to use vague words that could deliver multiple meanings and have a negative impact on readability and understanding. Gender balance and respect for minority communities are also equally important, argue the authors. They suggest that journalists should begin their research from the names of the sources and institutions that are to be mentioned in the news story and move along to decode meanings from statistical archives.
News reporters should open their eyes and ears to observe the situation on the ground, talk to as many people, including eyewitnesses and authorities, as possible, collect all the relevant documents, and know the background of the issue/event.
The book also contains separate chapters on writing and editing and editorial management amidst the pressures for advertising revenue and from external actors. The book, translated into Nepali by Laxman Shrestha, Tilak Pathak and Ujjwal Acharya, can be a handbook for journalists of all levels – reporters, sub-editors to editorial managers.
The CMR Journalism Academy has done a commendable job by publishing such a quality book on journalism in the Nepali language. Although several universities in Nepal run bachelor's and master's degree programmes in media, journalism and communication, there is a dearth of quality textbooks and reference books in the Nepali language. They can fill the gap to some extent. The book is divided into five sections and 15 chapters.
Towards the end of the book, the authors have dealt with the question of the day – is quality journalism at risk? They also suggest some solutions while keeping digitalisation at the centre.
Published in The Rising Nepal's Friday Supplement on 4 September 2026.
