Laxman Datt Pant, Founder and Executive Director of Media Action Nepal (MAN), has been elected to the Steering Committee of the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD), the world’s largest community of journalism support and media development organizations. The official confirmation was made during GFMD’s General Assembly held on Wednesday, July 16, marking the induction of 17 newly elected members from across the globe.
A total of 54 members submitted their candidacies, twice the number from the previous election held four years ago. The election ran for a month, from June 12 to July 14. Of the 215 general members, 76% participated in the voting process. Laxman Datt Pant becomes the first Nepali ever elected to the Steering Committee of the world’s largest media development community.
Pant, a reputed communications expert and internationally recognized media rights advocate, will represent the Asia, Pacific, and Oceania region. His election brings Nepal’s and South Asia’s media development agenda to the heart of global policy and strategy discussions on press freedom, media pluralism, and safety of journalists.
“It’s a great honor to serve not only as a representative of Media Action Nepal but also to bring the voice of the Asian media fraternity into global dialogue with organizations shaping media development, freedom of expression, and press freedom,” said Pant following the announcement.
Under Pant’s leadership, Media Action Nepal has championed independent and accountable journalism through research, capacity building, media rights monitoring, and advocacy. MAN is a member of several global coalitions, including the Media Freedom Coalition–Consultative Network (MFC-CN), theACOS Alliance, the Civil Society Coalition of the Forum on Information and Democracy, and GFMDitself.
Between 2022 and 2024, Pant notably served as Co-Chair of the MFC-CN, playing a pivotal role in fostering collaboration among 51 member states, more than 150 civil society organizations, and key international stakeholders such as UNESCO and the High-Level Legal Panel. An Adjunct Professor of media at the Tbilisi State University in Georgia, Pant has led numerous global efforts on media curriculum development, media training, and policy advocacy for information integrity and journalist protection.
The new Steering Committee’s four-year term will begin with an in-person meeting in Kuala Lumpur on November 20, 2025, coinciding with the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC). During the meeting, members will also elect three key office bearers — Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, and Treasurer, who, alongside the GFMD Executive Director Mira Milosevic, will comprise the Executive Committee and guide GFMD’s strategic direction for 2025–2029.
“I look forward to contributing an Asian perspective on how to safeguard media in crisis, including how to operate during challenges, stay resilient, and respond to new and emerging threats,” said Pant, reflecting on the challenging global environment for journalism.
The newly elected GFMD Steering Committee comprises 17 prominent figures in media development from around the world. These include Catherine Gicheru, Founder of the Africa Women Journalism Project (Kenya); Zoe Titus, Executive Director of NMT Media Foundation (Namibia); Nasr ul Hadi, Founder and Executive Director of PROTO (India); and Milka Domanovic, Regional Director at BIRN – Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (Bosnia & Herzegovina). Also elected are Lina Kushch, First Secretary of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine; Lars Boering, Director of the European Journalism Centre (Netherlands); Adriana Garcia, Executive Secretary of Abraji – the Brazilian Association of Investigative Journalism; and the President and Co-Founder of the Media Institute of the Caribbean (Jamaica/Trinidad & Tobago).
The committee further includes Rawan Damen, Director General of Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism – ARIJ (Jordan); Shireen Al Khatib, Acting Director of MADA – Palestinian Center for Development & Media Freedoms; Courtney Radsch, Director of the Center for Journalism and Liberty (USA); Angie Holan, Director of the International Fact-Checking Network (USA); and Toby Mendel, Executive Director of the Centre for Law and Democracy (Canada).
Rounding out the group are Caroline Vuillemin, General Director of Fondation Hirondelle (Switzerland); Quinn McKew, Executive Director of ARTICLE 19 (UK); Simon Bishop, CEO of BBC Media Action (UK); and Laxman Datt Pant, Executive Director of Media Action Nepal (MAN), representing the Asia, Pacific, and Oceania region.
