By Karan Poudel, Founder & Editor-in-chief, The Katmandu Journal
WELCOME TO 2026. The Katmandu Journal steps into the year stronger and more influential than ever since our launch on Substack in late May 2025. In seven months we have grown to reach over 4,000 readers a month, each spending more than five minutes on our pages and clicking through more than three articles on average. These numbers are proof that discerning readers in Nepal and beyond are hungry for journalism that informs and provokes thought.
We are now read by smart people from all walks of life: policymakers, financiers, professors and curious citizens, stretching from Nepal to the United States, Singapore, China, the United Kingdom and India. Between June and December 2025, we published over 500 stories—bold, evidence-backed reporting and analysis you will not find anywhere else.
We want to thank everyone who has supported us. And yes, even the sceptics—the well-wishers who doubted that analytical journalism could survive in Nepal, and the doomsayers who predicted it would be crushed by political pressure or the allure of clickbait. Your doubts have only boosted our resolve.
We understand that building a trusted media company is neither fast nor easy. It takes habit. It takes patience. It takes readers returning, day after day, to trust the work we produce. And we are committed to earning that trust by publishing stories that matter, in-depth analyses that shine light where others look away.
In an age where fake news dominates social feeds and legacy media struggle to stay relevant, the Katmandu Journal seeks to stand apart. We will not bow to industry pressure. We will not bow to party pressure. Our loyalty is to our readers and to the facts. Every article we publish, every investigation we pursue, is guided by a single principle: to give you clarity in a chaotic world.
As we move into 2026, we plan to push even further. Expect stronger reporting and sharper analysis that challenges conventional wisdom. Expect journalism that questions power and gives context where headlines offer only noise. Expect insights grounded in data and careful reasoning even when the prevailing trends favour panic or hype.
We are proud of what we have built, but we are not complacent. The Katmandu Journal is not a fleeting experiment—it is a media company with the vision and ambition to survive and thrive in Nepal’s media landscape for the long term. We are building something permanent, even in a time of rising AI influence and the collapse of many older institutions.
To our readers, past, present and future: thank you for your trust, your engagement and your curiosity. To those still discovering us: there is no better time to start reading. Our stories will inform you, challenge you and, we hope, help you understand Nepal and the world with new eyes.
We do not pretend this is easy. We do not pretend that the next year will be free of obstacles. But we do promise that, come what may, the Katmandu Journal will remain a beacon for independent, fearless, fact-based journalism.
Happy New Year! ■
