With the aim of connecting and interacting with its readers, The Kathmandu Post hosted an event, titled Coffee with The Kathmandu Post, at the Boomerang Restaurant in Lakeside, Pokhara, on December 9. 

The interaction, chaired by the Post Editor-in-Chief, Akhilesh Upadhyay, and the Assistant General Manager of Kantipur Media Group, Mahesh Swar, was attended by Pokhara’s young entrepreneurs, educators, artists and students. They discussed about the media’s role in promoting the Lake City and its many cultural, artistic and historical assets.

Tourism entrepreneur Ganesh Bhattarai underscored the media’s role in bringing stories related to infrastructural development and good governance to the fore.

Highlighting the need for upgrading infrastructure like the Kathmandu-Muglin section of the Prithvi Highway, he said: “Pokhara continues to show tremendous potential but infrastructure need to be continually upgraded. Then, entrepreneurs become emboldened in promoting new travel destinations and experiences.”

Reiterating the important function the media serves in the society, Dr Chiranjibi Sharma, vice-chancellor of Pokhara University, stressed on the inclusion of positive and upbeat stories in the newspaper’s daily coverage.

“Day after day, it is all doom and gloom. Granted that it does reflect the current political and social context, but newspapers need to make a concentrated effort to identify and push positive stories as well,” he said. 

Bisheswor Prasad Acharya, principal of Novel Academy, noted that more effort needed to be made to host events like Coffee with The Kathmandu Post that connect mediapersons to their readers. 

Upendra Poudel, chairman of the Random Readers’ Society—that hosts regular book readings and interactions with authors in the Lake City, stressed the need of highlighting Pokhara’s burgeoning literary and art-scape in the nation’s dailies. 

“Last year, when the Nepal Literature Festival was held in Pokhara, it garnered a lot of media attention,” he said. “But there are dozens of literary and arts events hosted in Pokhara every month that don’t necessarily include Kathmandu-based artists but warrant equal attention as well.” 

In a similar vein, writer Ganesh Poudel urged editors to move beyond just promoting Pokhara as a tourism destination.

 “Tourism is only but one aspect that makes Pokhara great,” he said. “The city also has a rich amalgamation of cultures and heritage and has a rich history. We need to move past just promoting Lakeside, the tourist hub, and talk about Pokhara’s rich culture and art-scape.”   

Siroj Koirala, operator of Brahma Yog Peeth, brought the two-hour-long interaction to a close by speaking about Pokhara’s vibrant entrepreneurial spirit. 

“Pokhara is bustling with new ideas and the media plays a big role in bringing it to the public eye. For instance, Pokhara has quietly evolved into a major hub for yoga, meditation and spirituality. With support from newspapers like the Post, these gains could be propelled further forward, which would be beneficial not just for Pokhara but the nation as a whole.”