Journalists trained to protect their most sensitive files
POKHARA | December 6: Between December 1 and 5, 2025, Forbidden Stories’ SafeBox team and Media Action Nepal successfully conducted two intensive SafeBox Network Workshops in Kathmandu and Pokhara, engaging 33 journalists from Nepal and India who report on sensitive, high-risk, and public-interest issues.
In partnership with Media Action Nepal (MAN), the Kathmandu workshop brought together 16 Indian and Nepali journalists. The first day was facilitated by Helene Garreta, SafeBox Network Asia & Africa Coordinator, and Elisa Kirkland, SafeBox Project Manager, who presented the work of Forbidden Stories, the SafeBox Network, and practical strategies for securing sensitive investigative materials.
On the second day, Laxman Datt Pant, founding chair of Media Action Nepal and an internationally recognized media rights advocate, led two separate sessions covering safety of journalists and freedom of expression. Participants also engaged in group exercises that reflected the realities and risks faced by frontline journalists in Nepal and India.
The concluding workshop that took place on December 4 and 5 in Pokhara of Gandaki Province, brought together 17 Nepali journalists from Sudurpaschim, Madhesh, and Gandaki provinces. Reporters and freelances shared experiences related to digital threats, political pressures, and the realities of rural reporting, developing practical safety strategies tailored to their contexts.
These workshops were highly productive and inspiring moments of collective learning. Participants engaged deeply throughout the sessions, openly sharing their experiences and demonstrating how investigative journalism can create meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.
“I am confident that the SafeBox Network will be a valuable resource for all participants. They are now part of a global community of journalists and they can safeguard their public-interest documents, knowing that their work won’t disappear,” said Helene Garrita, Safebox Network’s Africa and Asia Coordinator. According to a participant, being part of this network gives them the assurance that they feel safer, and it encourages them to keep investigating stories that matter to the public, she added. This reaffirms the importance of the SafeBox Network’s deterrent effect and the collective resilience that comes from standing together.
Participants of these workshops are now part of a global community of journalists and they can safeguard their public-interest documents, knowing that their work won’t disappear,
Sharing that the safety of journalists is the foundation of a free and democratic society, Laxman Datt Pant, Founding Chair of Media Action Nepal commented, “When reporters are threatened or silenced, communities lose access to truth and accountability.” Media Action Nepal is happy to partner with Forbidden Stories and the SafeBox Network team for this important initiative. Together, we are providing journalists with practical tools and meaningful protection to continue their public-interest stories, Pant added.
When reporters are threatened or silenced, communities lose access to truth and accountability.
“This is the first workshop where I felt my fears as an investigative reporter were truly understood and backed with real solutions,” said Nabin Dhungana, an investigative journalist based in Kathmandu. Learning how SafeBox actually protects our documents gives me confidence to pursue sensitive stories without hesitation, added Dinesh Regmi, another participating freelance journalist.
Kamal Paudel, a radio who journalist participated in Pokhara workshop, commented, “Most trainings talk about theory. This one showed us practical steps we can apply immediately, especially in sensitive issues,” Durga Rana Magar, another journalist in Pokhara workshop, said, “For the first time, I learned how to secure my investigations beyond my newsroom. That changes everything for frontline reporters like us.”