In July this year, he reported from Chappra, Bihar, for The New York Times about the midday meal tragedy. Last year, he published an iPad book on autism.
Now working with Inter Press Service (IPS) TV and Sipa USA, Bhandari was also UNESCO’s youth journalist/blogger 2011.
“Because telling stories is important,” says Rajneesh, explaining why he chose to be a journalist. [break]
How did you get into journalism?
I was interested in telling stories and I think stories matter a lot. I was a bright student and people were disappointed when I didn’t choose to study science. That meant that I had to do something substantial to balance that. I started out by interning at Kantipur TV and I was asked to stay on after the internship. I did a lot of stories for a variety of different beats; at one time, I was reporting for seven beats which was totally unusual and impractical. Nevertheless, I learnt a lot and it was during that time I started being interested in multimedia storytelling. Then, I did a one-year course in multimedia journalism from the Philippines.
What exactly being a multimedia journalist demands?
Multimedia journalism is evolving and is a great way of telling a story. It means that one is always prepared to tell a story by the use of text, pictures, videos, infographs and social media, in the best ways possible. Multimedia storytelling is about integrating all these components to bring out the best story. However, it doesn’t mean that you must absolutely put in everything but see what’s required in the story. You may just need the text and the photo or just the video. You’ve to decide what the story needs beforehand and which method would be more engaging. It depends on the story and how you want to tell it.
The fun here is in doing everything yourself. While it does put a lot of pressure, I’m more concerned with how it provides an essence to the story. There’s no creative boundary, as multimedia journalist does the text, photos and videos all by himself. It needs effort but I really enjoy that.
How ready are our readers for multimedia stories?
I think they are interested because when I talk to social media enthusiasts, they’re very keen. I’m sure that they would like such stories. I truly believe that we should create content and give it to them instead of waiting for them to ask for it.
Since this is an emerging trend, do you think all journalists should learn multimedia?
I think it’s necessary. For example, if you happen to witness an accident, what will you do? You need to take pictures and if you know how to take videos, it’s even better. Being equipped with these skills means that you’ll be able to tell a story effectively and it’ll also reach more people in less time. So I would say that it’s important to be prepared with these skills as it’s also about sustainability. In a couple of years, employers will probably want somebody who has all these skills, rather than someone who is simply a writer or a photographer.
What do you think is the burning issue regarding the youth in our country today?
Unemployment is a major concern with reference to youth, not just in the country but in many parts of the world. The government should create an environment where opportunities are plenty, and at the same time, the youth also have to be clear about what they want to do. Another issue concerning young people is their unpaid status when they intern or volunteer. It’s something I’m interested in and I believe that they should be paid for their efforts.
You were awarded with KTV Journalist of the Year award for your red passport scam story. What’s the state of investigative journalism in Nepal? And what does one have to keep in mind while following such stories?
Even though we have a few investigative journalists and I do read stories in the paper which are investigative in nature, the situation isn’t satisfactory. There’s no investigative unit in any media house.
It’s crucial to know whether a story is important and how to bring it to light in an ethical way. Since such stories demand a lot of time, you need to invest in getting your facts right and getting things verified. The question is of fairness and getting on the side of the truth, because as a journalist, one is required to report only the truth.
What is your iPad book about?
There’s no autism care center in Nepal even though it’s essential. Living with Autism has six different chapters and stories. It took me six months to prepare it and I’ve made it available online for free. I think it’s more important for people to get information than for me to earn money out of it. I’ve been getting positive feedbacks from people who are working with autism and they tell me it’s one of the best interactive books on the subject.
Apart from work, what have you been doing?
I was part of the recent event, Media Gufa, which is a 72-hour experimental event where seven journalists got together to report stories using social and new media. We were basically using social media to reach and connect to our sources and do stories. Apart from that, I’m involved in a lot of trainings.
I recently trained 12 investigative reporters, as chief trainer, on multimedia and investigative reporting in Cambodia that was organized by Transparency International Cambodia. Likewise, I also worked as a trainer with the International Center for Journalists in South Asia’s “Youth at Risk: Multimedia Storytelling by Young Journalists from Seven South Asian Countries” last April. I have also trained minority rights activists in Nepal in a training organized by Minority Rights Group International.
Besides, I’ve trained youths on video making and, in addition, did a multimedia training and digital storytelling (with iPad and mobile devices) for students of journalism.
I also prepared a training manual on media’s role in security for the Federation of Nepalese Journalists. The manual was used to train journalists all over Nepal.
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