A symposium titled “Online Literary Magazine: Its Strengths and Limitations” was held on Tuesday, organized by the Devkota-Lu Xun Academy. The event featured various journalists and writers who shared their insights on the opportunities and challenges of online literary journalism.
Delivering the keynote address, Ashwini Koirala, Editor-in-Chief of Sahityapost, highlighted the vast readership of online literary journalism, stating, “We have a large number of readers from Assam, Darjeeling, Bhutan, Europe, America, and the Gulf countries.” He emphasized that while the digital platform offers unparalleled access to a global audience, maintaining quality content remains a challenge, as readers constantly seek fresh and diverse literary materials. He further stressed the need for literary journalism to engage in investigative reporting on crucial language and literature-related issues. “Literary journalism must bring hidden issues to light,” he asserted. Koirala also shared his journey from working as a journalist at Kantipur to leading the team at Sahityapost.
Another speaker, senior journalist Sharad Pradhan, pointed out that unlike print media, online literary magazines preserve the unique writing style of authors. He noted that Nepal was relatively late in adapting to the digital age, especially in transitioning traditional print media to online platforms. He also remarked on the reluctance of large corporate houses to allocate Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to literary magazines, as they tend to prioritize political news over purely literary content.
Dinesh Basnet, Editor of E-Jamana, emphasized the need to transform literary content into multimedia formats. He stated that online literary platforms should incorporate audio and visual elements, as mere text-based content may not suffice for a diverse readership. Similarly, Rajesh Khanal, Editor of Baarha Kahri, discussed the financial struggles of online literary magazines and the persistent challenge of generating high-quality literary content.
Poet and critic Mahesh Paudyal recognized online platforms as valuable sources of knowledge, particularly for research scholars. He praised the flexibility, editability, and borderless nature of digital media but also cautioned against the challenges posed by AI-driven tools.
During the event Bhoj Aryal’s poerty collection Seta Veer, Yata Pir was also released by the guest attendees.
The symposium participants presented various suggestions to enhance the effectiveness and professionalism of online literary journalism. The program, chaired by Sunik Kumar Paudel, was hosted by Srijana Sharma.
