By Saba Chaudhry
On September 8, 2025, anti-corruption protests erupted across Nepal, primarily led by young people calling for accountability from politicians. The Gen Z protests about inequality, economic challenges, and government scandals started peacefully, but within hours security forces used force, leading to the deaths of scores of protestors.
In just two days, the large-scale demonstrations resulted in the fall of the Nepali government, but the cost was high. With more than 70 dead, the outbreak of political violence resulted in one of the highest casualties in recent years.
Media coverage
Media coverage of the protests and the violence that occurred lacked diversity – it didn’t equally represent the people involved.
On September 6, while social media hashtags like ‘Gen Z protests’ were trending, traditional media continued to overlook the issues people were complaining about.
Coverage was focused more on the politicians than those who lost their lives or were injured.
The disparity in coverage highlights how even in a time of crisis and uncertainty, fake news, misinformation, and biased media receive more attention than the true human stories.
Misinformation and fake news
As the protest escalated, so did the spread of unverified news.
Aneeka, a social activist from Nepal, was protesting with her colleagues when they were tear gassed. She says: “There was too much misinformation and chaos at the start. The narrative focused only on the social media ban, but the protest was more than that.”
Five days before the protests started, the government blocked access to social media and imposed strict censorship. As protests began, misinformation spread rapidly online, fuelling panic and fear. Old videos of people climbing temples and attempting to vandalize them circulated repeatedly, getting millions of views.
In another incident, a fake viral video of a man being allegedly beaten and dragged into a river by protestors was shared by many media outlets and social media platforms. They claimed the man was Nepalese Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel. A fact check revealed the man was not the finance minister.
“Nepali media focused too much on politicians and rarely covered protest stories, even stories about people who are killed,” said Aneeka.
The protests serve as a clear reminder of what responsible journalism requires.
Misinformation spread beyond Nepal
Regional and international coverage of the protests in Nepal was also problematic, with major international news outlets reporting events in different ways.
‘’Coverage outside Nepal has been very divided. Many Indian media outlets often misrepresented the protests by framing them as a push to restore the monarchy or a religious movement, instead of focusing on the corruption and unemployment issues that Gen Z protesters raised. Many saw this as politically motivated,’’ said Swechhya Raut, a Nepali journalist.
The international media was also not entirely accurate initially. Even major trusted international outlets mostly reported it as a “social media ban protest”. Only after being criticised did some of them clarify that it was an anti-corruption movement led by Gen Z.
Reports by BBC and ABC News stated that the protests were against the social media ban. One BBC headline read: ‘’At least 13 dead in Nepal after protests against social media ban’’. Al Jazeera’s story ‘’Nepal Gen Z protests amid social media ban’’ mentioned both the ban and the issue of corruption.
AI-Generated images and videos
Unlike previous years, this was the first time people also started sharing AI-generated images and videos. AI-generated photos of fires and burn victims circulated online to exaggerate the violence.
‘’During the protests, Facebook and Twitter were banned in Nepal. Yet, they remained the primary platforms where rumours, fake content, and genuine updates were all spreading simultaneously,” said Raut.
‘’The voices of victims have been sidelined. Families who lost loved ones or people who were injured did not get much coverage. Instead, the focus has mostly been on political leaders and their statements. International organisations did highlight and condemn the excessive force used by the government, but many media missed the human stories from the ground,’’ Raut added.
Role of responsible journalism
Responsible reporting plays an important role during times of crisis.
Many people fact-checked information, voiced their opinions on media, and presented an accurate picture of events that traditional, regional and international media outlets were not showing.
‘’As journalists, we often talk about the decline of ‘shoe-leather journalism’. Mobile reporting or using ‘he said, she said’ quotes from agencies may feel faster and easier, but we should not skip the basic process of verifying information,” said Raut.
“Our profession is built on accuracy and reliability. In times like these, when misinformation spreads so easily, whether through rumours or AI-generated content, the best way to stand out is to report the truth carefully, even if it takes more time.”
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Media Diversity Institute. Any question or comment should be addressed to [email protected] of the Media Diversity Institute (MDI).
