Political crisis in Nepal: more than a dozen media outlets targeted, journalists injured

During the riots that set the capital and several regions of the country ablaze on 9 September, the offices of at least a dozen news outlets and three media organisations were set on fire or vandalised. In Kathmandu's Thapathali neighborhood, rioters burned the premises of the leading private media group, Kantipur Media Group (KMG). The offices of Public Service Broadcasting Nepal(PSBN), the public broadcaster that owns Radio Nepal and Nepal Television and which is housed at the seat of the Nepalese government, Singha Durbar, were also vandalised.

The day before, mass protests were violently repressed by security forces, leaving at least 19 people dead. Young Nepalese citizens started the demonstrations to denounce the political elite's corruption and the government's suspension of 26 social media platforms on the grounds that they were not officially registered in accordance with new government directives. Three journalists covering the events for Kantipur TV, Naya Patrika and Nepalpress, and a freelance journalist, were injured by rubber bullets fired by the police.

Kathmandu ablaze

In the capital,the offices of Kantipur Media Group - publisher of the daily Kantipurand its online edition ekantipur.com- along with the offices of the daily The Kathmandu Postlocated in the same building, were set on fire by rioters in the Thapathali neighborhood. The homes of Kailash Sirohiya,, owner of the Kantipur Media Group, and Rameshwor Thapa, owner of the Annapurna Media Network conglomerate, were also set on fire.

Attacks also targeted Kantipur TV, Radio Kantipur and the daily Annapurna Postin the Tinkune neighborhood, causing major damage. At the Kantipur TVstudio, journalists were broadcasting live when protesters stormed the newsroom. The news director, Rupesh Shrestha, smashed a glass door to help staff escape as the building and vehicles outside burned. The assailants nonetheless beat Rupesh Shrestha and his colleague, journalist Aneel Bogati.The channel's entire infrastructure was destroyed. Avenues Television, ABC Televisionand ITV Nepal were also forced off the air due to damage to infrastructure.

At the Annapurna Post, protesters forced staff to evacuate the premises before setting the building on fire, leaving the offices in ruins. The Babarmahal Press Center, a Maoist journalists' organization based in Kathmandu, was set ablaze, and the offices of the private outlet ThahaKhabar.comwere vandalized, according to RSF.

Local media attacked

Other media across the country reported similar attacks. Vehicles belonging to News24 TVand Radio Jagaranwere set on fire in Butwal. In the Kaski district, the motorcycles of Radio Dhorbarahistaff were destroyed and protesters damaged the camera of Kendrabhag.com's editor-in-chief, Govinda Subedi, as he was covering a protest.

A journalist with the Mero Shaan TV channel, Rajeev Sah, was assaulted while covering the arson attack on a police station in Sarlahi, on the southern plains of Madhesh Province. In Chitwan, also in Bagmati Province, the offices of the news site Safal Khabar.comand the daily Chure Sandeshwere looted and set on fire. The communications equipment of Kalika FM radiowas destroyed, and the home of the director of the news site Kapurbot Media, Santosh Deuja, was looted and set on fire. Another affected city was Ilam, in the east of the country, where the offices of Nepalvani FM radioand the Ilam Express Dailywere vandalised.

In Madhesh Province, the Saptari district section offices of the Federation of Nepali Journalists were also vandalized during the protests.

Rubber bullets fired by police

On the eve of these riots, 8 September, four journalists were injured by the police while covering demonstrations against corruption and the ban on social media in Kathmandu: Kantipur TVcameraman Shyam Shrestha, Naya Patrikaphotojournalist Dipendra Dhungana, Nepalpressphotojournalist Umesh Karkiand freelance journalist Shambhu Dangalwere hit by rubber bullets fired by security forces. Deshsancharreporter Barsha Shahwas also injuredwhen struck by a stone while covering a protest.

Nepalranks 90th out of 180 countries and territories in the RSF 2025 World Press Freedom Index. During a missioncarried out in May 2025, RSF called on the Nepalese authorities to urgently take concrete measures for press freedom.