– Pradeep Raj Onta, Photojournalist Nepal
A truly remarkable photograph often draws an immediate response of admiration. A powerful image has the ability to touch the human heart, evoke emotions, and tell a story that even thousands of words may fail to express. As the well-known saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
Photography is far more than a visual record. It is a document of history an archive of culture, a mirror of society and a vivid expression of human emotion. Even as time passes, a photograph preserves a moment forever. For this reason, photojournalism has become one of the most influential and indispensable forms of journalism.
With the rapid advancement of science and technology, photojournalism has undergone a remarkable transformation. The journey that began with film cameras has now reached the era of digital cameras, drones, 360-degree imaging, mobile journalism (MoJo) and artificial intelligence (AI). Today, photographs captured at the scene of an event can be transmitted and viewed by millions of people around the world within seconds.
In modern journalism, images often carry greater impact than words alone. Even the most compelling news story loses much of its effectiveness without an appropriate photograph. With the rapid growth of online journalism, social media and digital publishing platforms, visual storytelling has become an essential component of news reporting.
The introduction of digital photography in Nepal during the 1990s marked the beginning of a new era for photojournalism. Film cameras gradually gave way to digital technology, enabling faster workflows and higher efficiency. Today, most professional photojournalists use mirrorless cameras, high-speed internet, and cloud-based systems to transmit photographs directly from the field to newsrooms in real time.
The widespread availability of smartphones has also transformed ordinary citizens into potential photographers. Citizen journalism has enabled people to document events as they happen and share them instantly through social media. While this has increased public participation in visual storytelling, it has also created new challenges and competition for professional photojournalists.
The History of Photojournalism in Nepal
The history of Nepali photojournalism is closely associated with Gorkhapatra, the country’s oldest newspaper. On 13 Baisakh 1984 B.S. (1927 A.D.), the newspaper published what is regarded as Nepal’s first news photograph: an image of Suryamati Shrestha of Birgunj spinning thread with a traditional hand-operated spinning wheel in her cotton garden.
In recognition of this historic publication, the National Forum of Photojournalists (NFPJ) Nepal has been observing National Photojournalism Day annually for nearly three decades.
Gopal Chitrakar is widely recognized as Nepal’s pioneer photojournalist, laying the foundation for organized photojournalism in the country. Since then, photojournalists have documented Nepal’s political transformations, natural disasters, cultural heritage, sports, tourism, social movements and development milestones.
Historic moments—including the People’s Movement of 1990, the decade-long armed conflict, the People’s Movement of 2006, the declaration of the Republic, Constituent Assembly elections, the promulgation of the Constitution, the devastating 2015 Gorkha Earthquake, the COVID-19 pandemic and many other national events—have been preserved through the lenses of Nepal’s photojournalists.
Today, professional photojournalists work for major media organizations including the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), Gorkhapatra, Kantipur, Annapurna Post, Nagarik, Himalayan Times, Naya Patrika, The Kathmandu Post, as well as hundreds of online news portals across Nepal.
More than 8,800 journalists are affiliated with the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ). Among them, it is estimated that around 200 professional photojournalists are actively working in the Kathmandu Valley, while many others are employed throughout the provinces. The National Forum of Photojournalists (NFPJ) Nepal currently has more than 200 members nationwide, reflecting the steady expansion of photojournalism across the country.
Every day, thousands of news photographs are published through newspapers, television channels, online media, social networking platforms, and international news agencies. Nepali photojournalists have also gained increasing international recognition in fields such as tourism, wildlife, environmental conservation, sports, culture and investigative journalism.
Digital platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have dramatically increased the use and importance of photography. Today, the first visual record of many major events often appears on social media before reaching traditional news outlets.
However, this digital revolution has also introduced significant challenges, including:
Unauthorized use and theft of photographs
Inadequate financial compensation
Copyright infringement
AI-generated fake or manipulated images
Difficulties in image verification and authentication
Misuse of photographs in misleading contexts on social media
While artificial intelligence has greatly improved photo editing, caption generation, image search, and newsroom workflows, it has also enabled the creation of convincing fake images that threaten the credibility of journalism. Consequently, modern photojournalists must develop expertise not only in photography but also in digital verification, metadata management, fact-checking, and the responsible use of AI technologies.
Safety continues to be one of the greatest challenges faced by photojournalists. Whether covering protests, civil unrest, natural disasters, pandemics, fires, wars, accidents, or conflict zones, photojournalists are often among the first to reach the scene.
In pursuit of compelling visual evidence, they frequently face physical assaults, damage to expensive equipment, legal disputes, and psychological stress. Around the world, many photojournalists have lost their lives while performing their professional duties. Nepal is no exception, as photojournalists covering political protests, disasters, and hazardous situations continue to encounter serious risks.
Although Nepal produces outstanding photojournalistic work, the commercial value of professional photography remains inadequate. Despite investing significant resources in high-end equipment, traveling to remote areas, and taking considerable personal risks, many photojournalists struggle to receive fair compensation for their work.
The ease of downloading and reproducing digital images without proper attribution, coupled with limited awareness of copyright protection, has further weakened the economic sustainability of professional photojournalism.
Photojournalism education in Nepal remains limited. Although several universities and colleges include photography in their journalism curricula, practical training opportunities are still insufficient. As technology continues to evolve, photojournalists must continually update their skills in digital editing, drone photography, data management, artificial intelligence, multimedia storytelling, and international journalistic standards.
Photojournalism is far more than the act of taking photographs it is the responsibility of documenting history. A single powerful image can preserve the truth of an event for generations. When grounded in truth, accuracy, creativity and ethical responsibility, photojournalism strengthens democracy, transparency and public accountability.
No matter how advanced technology becomes, artificial intelligence can never replace the human eye that recognizes truth, the instinct that captures decisive moments, or the ethical responsibility that guides professional journalism. As Nepal embraces digital transformation, the future of photojournalism will depend on stronger professionalism, effective copyright protection, improved safety measures, quality education, and continuous adaptation to emerging technologies. With these foundations in place, photojournalism will continue to serve not only as a medium of news but also as a lasting visual archive of the nation’s history.
The author is President of the National Forum of Photojournalists (NFPJ) Nepal and Senior Photojournalist at the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), Nepal’s National News Agency.