KATHMANDU: The Faculty of Journalism at St. Xavier’s College, in collaboration with the UNESCO Office in Kathmandu, concluded a two-day workshop focused on news writing and the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in journalism.
For the first time, the workshop brought together twelve journalism students from four public and community colleges in the Kathmandu Valley—Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus, Madan Bhandari Memorial College, Namuna Machhindra College, and Nepal Commerce Campus.
These students joined fifteen St. Xavier students in learning how to write article pitches and stories for both national and international media outlets, among other topics.
The workshop featured national and international experts, including AI specialist Naresh Newar.
Newar emphasized the role of AI as an assistant rather than a replacement, stating, “I suggest they use AI as an assistant. Use it to generate their own content, whether it’s social media posts or images. It’s excellent for idea generation—that’s the best thing about AI.”
He also highlighted that practicing with AI helps users understand its capabilities and limitations, as well as its ethical use.
Journalist Bhadra Sharma from The New York Times shared his insights on reporting and crafting story pitches for various media outlets.
British writer and educator Louisa Kamal addressed common writing mistakes and how to correct them, aiming to improve writing quality.
Participants were also given practical assignments to develop pitches and stories.
Nishant Adhikari, a participant from Madan Bhandari Memorial College, noted, “This workshop significantly enhanced my understanding and skills with AI tools. Although I had some prior experience, the trainers expanded my perspective further.”
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