ACORAB Nepal and SEJON Sign MoU to Strengthen Economic Journalism Across the Country

Kathmandu: In a move aimed at empowering community journalists and enhancing media coverage of economic issues, the Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (ACORAB) Nepal and the Society of Economic Journalists – Nepal (SEJON-Nepal) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Friday.

The partnership seeks to foster collaboration in economic journalism, financial literacy, and media coverage of economic issues through both community and mainstream platforms. The MoU was signed by Arjun Giri, Chair of ACORAB, and Bhagawat Bhattarai, President of SEJON.

Under the agreement, the two organisations will conduct joint journalism initiatives, focusing on skill enhancement and training at district and provincial levels. The collaboration will also involve knowledge sharing, production and dissemination of content, and support for high-quality reporting on economic matters.

In its initial phase, the partnership will focus on coverage of election manifestos, particularly political parties’ agendas on inclusive economic policies and priorities for economic reforms. Both organisations have committed to producing neutral, evidence-based content, utilising ACORAB’s network of over 380 community radio stations and digital platforms to make economic and financial information accessible to communities nationwide.

Following the signing ceremony, Mr Arjun Giri said the partnership would allow community journalists to benefit from SEJON’s expertise in economic reporting and financial literacy. He added that the MoU would take immediate effect, with joint initiatives planned to disseminate information on the economic priorities of political parties in the upcoming House of Representatives elections.

Mr Bhagawat Bhattarai noted that SEJON would increase participation of community radio journalists in its training programmes and use ACORAB’s network to communicate key economic policies in clear, jargon-free language, reaching even remote communities.

Siromani Dhungana, Director at ACORAB, highlighted the importance of bringing discussions on economic policies and strategies to the local level, where businesses and livelihoods drive the economy. He emphasised that community media must report on economic issues in ways that reflect provincial and local realities, making complex topics like budgets, entrepreneurship, and financial matters understandable to the public.

“ACORAB and SEJON can jointly use journalism and media initiatives to present economic issues in simple ways and strengthen public understanding of inclusive economic development,” he said.