Kathmandu, July 13

The government has appointed journalist Umesh Shrestha as the chairperson of the Press Council. The Council of Ministers meeting appointed Shrestha to the vacant post of the Council upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Previously, senior advocate Kumar Sharma Acharya was the chairperson of the Council. After the government issued an ordinance, he, along with all other officials, was relieved of his post.

The Press Council, which regulates the media, is considered a government body that coordinates between the government and the media.

Lately, Shrestha was working as the editor of Nepal Fact Check.

Having earned a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Tribhuvan University, Shrestha has been working in recent years as a fact-checker and as a trainer. An expert in media policy, he had been training journalists on digital investigation, data journalism, and the use of AI in his role as the chief trainer at the CMR Nepal Journalism Academy.