MODEL - NON PROFIT

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEWKhabar Lahariya (KL) was conceptualized and supported by Nirantar, a non-profit focused on girls and women’s education. It registered as an independent entity in 2013. It is the only local language newspaper that covers local news that is off the radar of mainstream media in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Bihar. Produced by a collective of rural women journalists, it targets rural audiences in media-dark zones with little connection to the outside world.

THE PROBLEMRural populations have limited news coverage of local issues and are often forgotten or ignored by government bodies. Rural areas also have poor access to news, which means people in these areas lack the information to access their rights and entitlements.

Local literate and semi-literate women are selected as potential journalists. These women then get six months with senior journalists who rigourously train them to report and write about local news, including politics, development and women’s issues.In 2013-2014, 35 women journalists were trained.

Women collect information directly from villagers and actively follow up with local government officials to create accountability for local issues.The news collected is edited and produced at the regional level for six print editions and one online edition covering seven different dialects.Each newspaper contains eight pages, which cover local news from the village, town and state level as well as some international and entertainment news. One page is dedicated to women’s issues and one for local editorials and letters from readers.

12,000 copies of Khabar Lahariya are printed weekly.The newspapers, sold at INR 2, are distributed door to door by the reporters in their respective geographic beats across eight districts; KL readership is approximately 1.2 lakh people.

As part of its women’s literacy

program, Nirantar started a women-

run local newsletter in Chitrakoot (UP)

Due to demand from the community to continue the newsletter after the

literacy program ended, a 4-page monthly newspa-per, Khabar Lahariya, was

launched

KL developed into a 8-page bi-weekly newspaper and

Nirantar gradually reduced its training

and operational support

KL expanded to the adjoining Banda district (UP) and

became a weekly newspaper

KHABAR LAHARIYA’s RESPONSEKL produces a newspaper to give exposure to unseen places and unheard voices, by connecting audiences with unique local language content on local issues. Government bodies are held accountable for inaction over local issues and citizens are empowered with information to advocate for their rights.

Khabar Lahariya

Founded: 2002 | Head Office: New Delhi | Coverage: : Uttar Pradesh and Bihar Full-Time Staff: 40 | Budget (2013-14): Organization – INR 1 crore; Governance – INR 1 crore

HOW DID IT EVOLVE?

1993-1999 2002 2003-2005 2007-2009

Senior journalists and the Delhi team

helped establish operations in six new

districts in UP and Bihar

2009-2012

Launched an online edition to increase

outreach

2013

Khabar Lahariya

WHAT DOES IT DO?Training local women in journalism

www.khabarlahariya.in

Production of the newspaper

Distribution of the newspaper

KEY INTERVENTIONS

1. Building awareness and mobilizing citizens2. Training citizens for public engagement 3. Creating knowledge and evidence4. Advocacy for policy design and implementation5. Technology platforms and solutions6. Facilitating independent and inclusive journalism7. Capacity building of government officials8. Capacity building of local partners9. Facilitating platforms for multi-stakeholder engagement

WHAT’S NEXT?Over the next five years, KL aims to expand its operations and develop a sustainable business model:

Create new editions in 10 more districts in UP and Bihar and increase the number of copies distributed in existing districts to reach 16,000 more households.Increase the price of the newspaper from INR 2 to INR 4.Explore avenues of advertising within the newspaper to increase revenue. Explore alternative distribution methods by collaborating with FMCGs and mainstream newspapers. Collaborate with mainstream newspapers to make KL available in peri-urban areas.Partner with Gram Vaani to broadcast stories over its mobile-based community radio, for greater outreach.

“KL has been able to fill a huge gap by providing information on entitlements and empowering the most impoverished communities in remote villages. Its hyper-local content in the local language is distinct and unparalleled. It is a successful model now ready to scale its impact, its reach and operations. Support to this organization would enable us to make the shift to a sustainable rural media enterprise. This will strengthen institutions of local governance and make them robust and accountable.” – Shalini Joshi, director, Nirantar

citizenvoice policy law servicedelivery thinktank transparency RTI elections budgets urbangovernance panchayatiraj accesstojustice

technology humanrights independentmedia

We know about schools at the panchayat level, but sometimes, when panchayats are big, we don't know how many children a school is meant to cater to, or how far children from hamlets walk to reach school. It was from a story in KL, from Pahra village in Karwi block, that we found out that the children from Gulab village had to cross the main road and walk 3 km to reach the nearest primary school. Subsequently a primary school has been built in that village, catering to 300 families.

- Satyendra, Clerk in the office of the Basic Education Officer, Chitrakoot, UP

Khabar Lahariya began as and remains the only multi-edition local language newspaper in India.In Chitrakoot, KL’s weekly circulation is the same as Dainak Jagran’s (India’s most read Hindi newspaper); locals prefer KL for its relevant content and their greater involvement in the news it contains.KL reportage has generated public opinion around critical local issues and there has been increased accountability among local government officials; e.g. in 2012, a special issue exposing poor health services led to the suspension of the chief medical officer in Banda (UP).KL empowers marginalized women with an unconventional source of livelihood and greater independence.

WHAT HAS IT ACHIEVED?

VOICES FROM THE GROUND

Has nearly two decades of experience in grassroots educational programs working with rural women.

Worked extensively as a grassroots activist under the Mahila Samakhya government program aimed at educating and empowering rural women.

Key funders: UNDEF, Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, Save the Children India.

Global Media Forum Award (2014).Marico Innovation Foundation Award for Social Innovation (2014).Times Now Amazing Indians Award (2013).UNESCO King Sejong Award for Literacy (2009).

Leadership Shalini Joshi; founding member; director of Nirantar

Partnerships

Endorsements KL has won numerous prestigious awards:

QUALITY INDICATORS

Khabar Lahariya

12 A 80 G FCRA

Meera Jatav; founding member; Managing Editor of KL