Bikalpa, an Alternative, in collaboration with International Alert and the Federation of Nepalese Journalists Koshi Province, Morang, and Sunsari, organized the second residential “Capacity Enhancement Training for the Journalists” from April 2nd to 4th , 2025, at Aqua Birds Eco Resort, Koshi Tappu. The program aimed to foster a culture of investigative journalism and media professionalism among journalists in Morang and Sunsari who are passionate about developing skills in digital investigation, content creation, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in journalism.
Esteemed experts led sessions through engaging lectures, interactive learning methods, networking, and group work designed to allow participants to explore and share ideas. The three-day camp brought together 24 diverse and dynamic Journalists from various media houses.
The application for the program was open to all journalists through Bikalpa’s website. After screening the 135 online applications based on their answers, 55 participants were selected with the help of the Federation of Nepalese Journalists in Koshi Province, Morang, and Sunsari. From that, 24 participants were chosen for the second round of the training program.
Over the 3 days, the program comprised the following topics.
- Writing for the Web and Social Media
- Creating Engaging Content for Online and Social Platforms
- Multimedia in Journalism
- Information Gathering Tools
- Information Processing Tools
- Fact-Checking Techniques
- Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- Using AI Tools in Journalism
- Ethical Considerations
Day 1
The event was moderated by Ms. Ranu Sah, a Program Associate at Bikalpa. She opened the event by welcoming the esteemed guests, Mr. Bharat Khadka (President at FNJ Koshi Province), Miss. Sushila Pathak (President at FNJ Morang), Mr. Santosh Kafle (President of FNJ Sunsari), Mr. Santosh Sigdel (Vice-President at FNJ Morang), Mr. Netra Prashad Adhikari (Secretary at FNJ Morang), and Mr. Kausal Niraula (Treasurer at FNJ Morang).
Following that, Basanta Adhikari, the founder and director of Bikalpa an Alternative, shared the objective of the program along with welcoming all the attendees and trainers.
Following that, Trainer Prabesh Subedi engaged participants in a peer-introduction session, where participants introduced each other to build rapport and ease communication. Trainers and participants then shared their expectations, with each participant writing two expectations on meta cards. These were discussed and categorized by trainers based on whether the topics would be fully addressed, partially covered, or not covered during the training. All cards were displayed on the training hall wall for transparency.
Another Trainer, Umesh Shrestha, commended the organizing committee for their intention to enhance the digital competencies of working. With the help of attendees, he formed rules to be followed throughout the training.
The three-day training session began immediately after the inauguration session.
Session: Writing for the Web and Social Media
In this session, participants delved into the importance of understanding their target audience when creating content for digital platforms. They examined key factors such as audience demographics, interests, and age groups to tailor their messaging more effectively. The session emphasized how these insights can shape content tone, style, and platform choice to maximize engagement. Additionally, participants were introduced to Google Analytics as a powerful tool for gathering and analyzing data about their audience. They learned to make informed content decisions and enhance their online communication strategies.
Session: Creating Engaging Content for Online and Social Platforms
This session focused on strategies for developing compelling and visually appealing content tailored for digital audiences. Participants explored the concept of web scalability, learning how to structure content so that it is easy to read and navigate quickly, which is crucial for retaining online users’ attention. The importance of crafting clear, concise, and attention-grabbing headlines was also emphasized, as headlines often determine whether users engage with the content. Additionally, the session covered the effective use of typography, color schemes, and visual elements such as graphics and images to enhance readability, convey tone, and support the overall message. These design elements were discussed in the context of building a cohesive and engaging user experience across both websites and social media platforms.
Session: Multimedia in Journalism:
In this session, participants were introduced to the diverse world of multimedia and its growing importance in modern journalism. They explored various types of multimedia elements, including images, video, audio, infographics, animations, and interactive features, gaining an understanding of their distinct characteristics and how each contributes to storytelling. The session emphasized the strengths of multimedia in enhancing audience engagement, improving comprehension, and adding emotional depth to news content. Participants were also introduced to the concept of multimedia storytelling, a method that combines different media formats to tell a cohesive and compelling narrative. Through examples and discussions, they learned how to strategically integrate these elements to enrich journalistic pieces, making them more dynamic, informative, and accessible across digital platforms.
Day 2: Digital Tools and Skills for Journalists
The second day was dedicated to hands-on practice with various digital tools.
Session: Information Gathering Tools:
This session introduced participants to a range of digital tools designed to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of information sourcing in journalism and content creation. Key platforms explored included Google Trends, which helps track the popularity of search queries over time to identify emerging topics and public interest patterns, and Google Alerts, a tool for receiving real-time updates on specific keywords or topics. Participants also learned about webpage tracking tools, which monitor changes on websites, useful for staying updated on evolving stories or official statements. Additionally, the session covered digital archive platforms such as the Wayback Machine and Archive. today, which allows users to access and preserve historical snapshots of web pages. These tools were highlighted for their role in verifying information, tracking content over time, and accessing data that may no longer be available on the live web. The session emphasized how combining these tools can significantly strengthen research, fact-checking, and storytelling processes.
Session: Information Processing Tools:
In this session, journalists were introduced to a variety of digital tools designed to streamline and enhance the way information is processed, managed, and shared. A key focus was on Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tools, which allow printed or handwritten text from images and scanned documents to be converted into editable and searchable digital text, saving time and improving accuracy in data extraction. Participants also explored translation tools, which support multilingual reporting by enabling the quick and accurate translation of content from different languages.
Transcription tools were highlighted for their usefulness in converting audio and video interviews into text, greatly aiding in the documentation and quoting process. Additionally, text-to-speech tools were introduced, offering journalists new ways to review written content audibly or make their stories more accessible to diverse audiences.
Finally, the session covered collaborative platforms such as Google Docs, which enable real-time editing, commenting, and sharing among team members, making it easier to coordinate and co-create content in fast-paced newsroom environments. Collectively, these tools were presented as essential resources for improving workflow efficiency, accuracy, and collaboration in the digital journalism landscape.
Session: Fact-Checking Techniques: Methods for verifying digital content, including images, videos, and documents, were covered in detail, emphasizing the importance of credibility and accuracy in journalism.
This session provided a comprehensive overview of essential methods used to verify the authenticity of digital content, highlighting the critical role of credibility and accuracy in responsible journalism. Participants explored a variety of fact-checking techniques tailored to different media formats, including images, videos, and documents. For images and videos, they were introduced to tools and strategies such as reverse image searches, metadata analysis, and frame-by-frame video inspection to detect manipulation, mis contextualization, or fabrication.
In the case of documents and written content, methods for assessing source reliability, cross-referencing information, and identifying hallmarks of misinformation were discussed in detail. The session also touched on the use of fact-checking databases, digital verification platforms, and browser extensions that assist in evaluating the truthfulness of online claims.
Throughout the session, emphasis was placed on developing a critical mindset and maintaining ethical standards, with discussions around the impact of misinformation and the journalist’s role in safeguarding public trust. By the end, participants gained practical skills and tools to confidently verify information before publication, reinforcing their commitment to journalistic integrity.
Session: Group Presentation:
In this activity of the workshop, participants were divided into small groups and tasked with applying the skills and knowledge they had gained throughout the sessions. Each group was assigned to conceptualize, research, and write a news story, incorporating key techniques and tools covered during the training.
The exercise served as a practical culmination of the workshop, allowing participants to demonstrate their understanding of topics such as audience analysis, web writing strategies, fact-checking, multimedia storytelling, and the use of AI tools in journalism. Groups were encouraged to consider elements engaging headlines, visual design, etc. while also leveraging digital tools for information gathering, content generation, and collaborative writing. During the presentations, each group shared their process, highlighted the tools they used, and explained how they addressed challenges such as ensuring accuracy, selecting visuals, or tailoring content for specific audiences. Trainers and peers provided constructive feedback, offering insights into how the stories could be improved or expanded.
This activity not only reinforced the workshop’s learning objectives but also fostered teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking. It provided participants with hands-on experience that closely mirrors real-world digital newsroom practices, equipping them to confidently apply their new skills in their professional environments.
Day 3:
Session: AI and Journalism – Opportunities and Challenges
On the final day, participants explored the dynamic and rapidly evolving relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and journalism, examining both the transformative opportunities it presents and the critical challenges it poses. The session began with an overview of how AI is currently being integrated into newsrooms, from automating routine tasks such as data analysis and news aggregation, to supporting content creation through tools like AI-powered writing assistants and chatbots.
Real-world examples were shared to illustrate how media organizations are leveraging AI to innovate reporting and engage audiences more effectively. By the end of the session, participants gained a nuanced understanding of AI’s role in the future of journalism—recognizing it as a powerful tool that must be used thoughtfully and responsibly to uphold the core values of truth, fairness, and public service in media.
Session: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: This session served as a foundational introduction to the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI), starting with a historical overview of its development. A central part of the discussion focused on the different categories of AI, helping participants understand the distinctions between various levels of intelligence demonstrated by machines. First, they explored Narrow AI, which refers to AI systems designed to perform specific tasks—such as voice assistants, recommendation engines, or spam filters—without possessing consciousness or general reasoning abilities.
Next, the session introduced Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), which represents the theoretical stage at which AI systems would be capable of understanding, learning, and applying knowledge across a wide range of tasks, much like a human being.
Finally, participants were introduced to the concept of Artificial Superintelligence (ASI)—an advanced and hypothetical form of AI that would surpass human intelligence in virtually every field, including creativity, problem-solving, and decision-making. This sparked thought-provoking discussions around the ethical, social, and existential implications of such developments.
By the end of the session, participants had a solid grasp of the historical context and theoretical frameworks that define AI today, setting the stage for deeper exploration into its applications, benefits, and challenges in future sessions.
Session: Using AI Tools in Journalism: This session offered a hands-on exploration of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are being integrated into various stages of the journalistic workflow. Trainers provided live demonstrations of cutting-edge AI applications that assist with research, writing, editing, and the generation of text, video, and images, showcasing how these tools can enhance both efficiency and creativity in news production.
In the writing and editing stages, the session highlighted AI-powered assistants that support grammar correction, style consistency, and content structuring. Tools capable of drafting articles or providing suggestions for headlines and key points were demonstrated, emphasizing their role as supportive companions rather than replacements for human writers.
The session also covered generative AI tools capable of creating multimedia content. Journalists saw how text-to-image and text-to-video tools can be used to produce visual content for storytelling, particularly in situations where original imagery is unavailable. These tools were presented as valuable for creating illustrations, concept visuals, or simulations.
By the end of the session, participants gained practical knowledge of how to integrate AI tools into their workflows, along with an understanding of their capabilities and limitations.
Session: Ethical Considerations:
The final session of the workshop concluded with a thoughtful and critical discussion on the ethical dimensions of using Artificial Intelligence in journalism and content creation. As AI tools become more deeply embedded in the media landscape, participants were encouraged to reflect on the responsibilities that come with their use, particularly regarding fairness, accountability, and public trust.
One of the core topics discussed was algorithmic bias, where AI systems may unintentionally produce discriminatory or unbalanced outcomes due to biases present in their training data. The session emphasized the need to question the outputs of AI tools, especially when dealing with sensitive subjects. The issue of plagiarism was also explored. As generative AI tools can create written or visual content that closely mimics existing work, participants were made aware of the risks of unintentionally reproducing copyrighted material or presenting AI-generated content as original reporting. The discussion stressed the importance of attribution, originality, and editorial oversight when using such tools.
Finally, the session highlighted the growing need for transparency in content creation. Journalists were encouraged to disclose when AI tools are used in the production of news or media pieces, to maintain honesty with audiences and uphold journalistic integrity.
By the end of the session, participants were left with a deeper awareness of the ethical challenges posed by AI, along with practical strategies for using these technologies responsibly. The workshop closed with a call to balance innovation with integrity, ensuring that AI enhances journalism without compromising its core values.
Way Forward and Certification
After the sessions, Mr. Basanta Adhikari extended warm congratulations to the fellows for their successful completion of the training phase, recognizing their hard work and dedication. He also added about the fellowship criteria, which will be given to 3 Journalists. He informed participants that the application would be open to apply for a fellowship showcasing their case stories. Lastly, he clarified participants’ queries about the Fellowship.
Concluding the program, the participants were presented with certificates, acknowledging their commitment and dedication to the program.
