EJN Awards Seed Grants to Six Media Outlets in Nepal to Strengthen Coverage of Natural Resource Management and Green Growth

As a part of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network’s (EJN) Media for Inclusive Green Growth (MIGG) in Nepal project, six media organizations in Nepal have been selected for seed grants of 4,500 euros each to pilot innovative programming and reporting on the country’s natural resource management (NRM) and green growth issues.

The grants aim to strengthen local and national media capacity to produce in-depth, inclusive and solutions-focused coverage of the country’s management of natural resources and steps toward climate resilience. This is the second round of seed grants under the MIGG project, following a successful first cohort in 2024. This round is supported by EJN’s MIGG in Nepal project and the Asia-Pacific project, funded by the European Union (EU) and Sida respectively.

• Read about the first cohort of MIGG media grantees: 5 Grantees Improve Media Coverage of Natural Resources and Green Growth in Nepal | Earth Journalism Network 

The six grantees were selected from a competitive pool of applicants based on the quality, innovation and potential impact of their proposals: 

• Anumodan Rastriya Dainik (Anumodan National Daily), a local daily newspaper in Sudur Paschim Province, will launch its first environment column, producing an initial 10 in-depth stories in print and online.
• Ghodaghodi Media Sanchar Samuha (Ghodaghodi FM), a radio station based in the Kailali district of Sudhur Paschim Province, will produce a new weekly radio program titled “प्रकृति संवाद (Nature Dialogue)”. The station will also broadcast through five other local radio stations in the region and expand its engagement beyond radio through audio-visual content shared on its digital platforms.
• IDS Media Pvt. Ltd., a YouTube-based media company that produces explainer videos on its popular YouTube channel IN-Depth Story will use the seed grant to produce two investigative documentaries, blending visual storytelling with data-driven journalism that will also be developed into short-form content including Shorts and Reels.
• The Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (ACORAB) Nepal, an umbrella organization of more than 350 community radio stations across Nepal, will produce a weekly radio capsule/program “Nature and Life (प्रकृति र जीवन)”, featuring on-the-ground reports. They will be broadcast through the popular daily news bulletin “Sajha Khabar (साझा खबर)”. Additionally, the grant will support the association to produce short-form video content for its social media platforms to strengthen its digital outreach.
• Story Twenty Pvt. Ltd., producer of popular Nepali YouTube channel Project Kura,  will launch a field-based environmental series. They will produce three documentary videos focusing on natural resource management and local environmental issues impacting communities with on-the-ground reporting. This content will be developed into reels and short-form stories.
• Everest Media Tech Pvt. Ltd., is a media company that runs Radio Everest 96.8 MHz in Solukhumbu district of Koshi Province, home to Mount Everest. It will produce eight investigative radio episodes on water issues, under the radio program “Jal ra Jeevan: Voices of Water and Life (जल र जीवन)”. Additionally, it will produce two video documentaries, one on the environmental impact of a hydropower plant and the second on communities at risk of a glacier lake outburst flood in the mountainous region. A portion of the grant will be used to enhance digital reach.

These media represent a diverse mix of radio networks, newspapers, and digital platforms, combining both traditional and emerging media. The grant will support local print and radio stations to expand digital reach with social-first content production, while the two YouTube-focused media organizations will diversify their content by delving into on-the-ground stories. 

“This round of seed grants supports both traditional and emerging new media to bring field-based stories on natural resource management that are often neglected in Nepal,” said Ramesh Bhushal, EJN’s Nepal and South Asia Manager. “It’s encouraging to see traditional outlets embracing digital tools, and digital emerging platforms stepping into field reporting. Together, they’re expanding the depth and reach of the country’s environmental coverage.”

Over the next six months, these grantees will receive mentorship from senior journalists and subject experts to refine their reporting, enhance the quality of their storytelling and ensure accuracy and accountability. The resulting media content will help foster informed public dialogue and promote transparency in natural resource governance in Nepal. 

Look out for updates from these six media outlets as they begin producing and publishing their stories on the EJN website and social media in coming months.