21 September 2026
Nepal’s Press Council moves to curb AI-manipulated disaster visuals, unverified reports, and graphic survivor content after the Bhotekoshi flood.
The Press Council of Nepal has issued an emergency directive and opened a new complaints portal to combat the surge of unverified, sensational or graphic content circulated after the Bhotekoshi river flood, many of it AI-generated or manipulated.
The publisher guidance published over the weekend comes as fact-checkers and the regulator identified a wave of misleading visuals and videos shared widely on social media, complicating the information flow for affected communities and rescue efforts.
"When events escalate so suddenly, and emotions are so strong, [media] must act with utmost caution to protect the facts, ensure the safety of survivors, and maintain transparency," the Council said.
The Press Council has now issued an emergency 'Editorial Directive Relating to Positive, Humanitarian and Accountable Communications- 2083 [BS]', instructing all journalists and media outlets to:
- Verify all data on casualties, injuries, missing persons, damage, risk zones and emergency response, according to official and credible sources, before publishing or broadcasting
- Protect the identity of deceased or grieving individuals unless public interest is exceptional
- Avoid or use with caution deeply disturbing or graphic material, demeaning views, identifiable bodies or likenesses of the dead, showing extreme suffering, or invading the privacy of children or family moments. If unavoidable, use only partial views, shield identity, provide front warnings, and opt for less sensational alternatives
- Include clear disclosures and transparency when using AI-assisted or symbolically-generated imagery. The directive also calls for warnings against manipulating or weaponising public figures or national symbols using AI or deepfake technology
The Council has already received 101 complaints as of 5pm on Saturday, including material posted by 67 personal online accounts. Complaints spiked after a video posted on X drew 7 million views but was assessed by fact-checkers as 97% likely to be machine-generated. X's community notes also flagged it as fabricated.
The Committee Against Social Media Deception and Misinformation, an advisory body formed by the Home Ministry, is also now in talks with social media platforms over handling other graphic content, AI-generated misinformation, fake QR codes, and digital deception campaigns.
The directive appears to align with developing global standards around AI in reporting, including the Press Council of South Africa's guidance this month that newsrooms should redouble fact-checking and transparency when using AI content generators. The Australian Press Council states that any significant alteration of an image used to illustrate the news must be disclosed. And the UAE Media Council warned against using AI to depict public figures or national symbols for misinformation.