Newspapers in Nepal

The history of Nepalese journalism began when Rana prime minister Padma Shumsher Rana had begun the publishing of a newspaper in Nepal. He started the printing of Gorkhapatra in the 1958 Bikram era. The first issue was published on Monday, May 6, 1901 [1961?]. After a power struggle with the Rana family, Chandra Shumsher again stopped printing the paper. In the interim, the paper had reached as far as Britain and France. After pressure from those countries, Chandra was forced to restart the publication.

The first editor was Pandit Naradev Pandey. Upon resuming the publication, Chandra replaced Pandey with his brother-in-law, Jay Prithvi bahadur Singh, who was then the petty king of Bajhang on Bhadra 22, 1960, in the Bikram era. The paper was weekly and 1000 copies were printed.

All the government orders, notices, documents and advertisements were then published in the paper.

Pandey had to receive written permission from Lieutenant Colonel Dilli Shumsher Thapa Chhetri before sending the paper to printing. The printing machine brought by first Rana prime minister Jung Bahadur 50 years earlier during his tour to Britain was used for printing this paper. It was called V. and J. Fijjins Makers. The printing machine is still in a museum. It was called gidde press because it had a big figure of vulture on the top. Vulture is called Gidda in Nepali.

A large number of tabloids appeared as a part of and surrounding the revolution of 1951, when the family rule of Ranas ended.

Since the beginning to this day, Gorkhapatra has been run under the supervision of the government and, in several instances, this has been turned into a propaganda agent of the government.

Current list of Nepal's newspapers

Kantipur National Daily (Nepali)

Nepal Samachar Patra Daily (Nepali)

The Himalayan Times (daily, English)

The Kathmandu Post (daily, English)

Rajdhani Daily (Nepali)

Himalaya Times (daily, Nepali)

Annapurna Post (daily, Nepali)

Naya Patrika (daily, Nepali)

Bhudhabar Weekly (Nepali)

Jana Astha Weekly (Nepali)

Ghatana Ra Bichar (weekly, Nepali)

Nepal (weekly, Nepali)

Samay (weekly, Nepali)

Newsfront (English)

Nepali Times (English)

People's Review (weekly, English)

Tarun (weekly, Nepali)

Bibechana (weekly, English)

Himal Khabar Patrika (fortnightly, Nepali)