Buddha Mani Dhakal has been appointed as new Chief Editor of the Bhutan News Service after T.P.Mishra tendered his resignation from the post.
Issuing a press statement, Bhutan Media Society (BMS) on Friday said a decision was made at its board meeting to appoint former editor of the APFA Bhutan as the Chief Editor, replacing the outgoing chief editor Mishra with effect from August 2.
Dhakal joined exiled media as Chief Editor of the Bhutan Reporter in 2004. Currently, he is based in Kentucky, USA.
The statement said, “We want to inform our valued readers and donors that Buddha Mani Dhakal has been appointed to lead the editorial team of the Bhutan News Service from August 3, replacing the outgoing editor Mishra.”
The statement further mentioned that the Society shall remain forever indebted towards the contributions made by the outgoing chief editor T.P Mishra.
North Carolina based T.P.Mishra, who was leading the BNS editorial team since 2009, resigned from his post, citing lack of time to take his editorship and regular studies together.
A three-year graduate on mass communications from the Purbanchal University of Nepal, Mishra started his journalism career as a reporter for the then published Bhutan Reporter from 2004. Later Mishra also worked as Chief Editor of the Bhutan Reporter from 2007 until 2009 and is author of ‘Becoming a Journalist in Exile’. In a resignation tendered to the board, Mishra has extended his gratitude to his media colleagues and friends of BNS/BMS for their support and coordination during his tenure.
Reinstating its commitment towards professionalism of Bhutanese media in exile, the Society has also thanked all of its donors for continuously extending their helping hands in effective operation and management of Bhutan Media Society and its affiliates.
“We hope that the supports from our esteemed donors will continue as we have received a dynamic person to lead the BNS editorial team,” added the statement.
BMS clarifies position of I.P. Adhikari
The Bhutan Media Society said that it also has reviewed the affiliation of I.P.Adhikari at Society and its affiliates.
Accepting the fact that Adhikari has started operating his own news site as a parallel entity from Adelaide of Australia to compete with Bhutan News Service, the Society decided to announce publicly that Adhikari has been focusing simply on his own site since early this year.
“We are extremely sorry to inform our donors and readers of the Bhutan News Service that Indra Prasad Adhikari is no more associated with our team,” BMS said in its statement.
Adhikari, who is one of the founders of Bhutan News Service formed in 2006, was President of Association of Press Freedom Activist (APFA) Bhutan, Chief Editor of the apfanews.com and former Editor-In-Chief of the Bhutan News Service.
BMS also mentioned that it was compelled to clarify his non-affiliation to the Society and its affiliate BNS to avoid confusions among readers and well-wishers.
According to the Society, Adhikari’s personal correspondence with some of its well-wishers and regular writers were found to be highly sensitive, aimed at tarnishing the image of Bhutan News Service in long-run.
“We want to inform our readers and donors that Adhikari will not represent Bhutan Media Society and its affiliates officially henceforth.”
