News Broadcasting
Swaraj says no moves to control media
One thing that has been more than amply borne out in the communal conflagration that has engulfed Gujarat is that the government is speaking in different voices on the subject. Rejecting suggestions in the Rajya Sabha (upper house of parliament) that communal riots in Gujarat flared up because of media reports, information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj today asserted the government did not intend to exercise control over the press. Swaraj added the proposed convergence commission would keep an eye on the contents in the print and electronic media.
Responding to supplementaries during Question Hour, Swaraj said the government did not control the press and lauded the Press Council of India for performing the role of a regulator very efficiently, the Press Trust of India reported.
Stating that in situations involving communal flare up there were always diverse opinions on the impact of media reporting, she said the Press Council chairman issued three appeals to the media to ensure that their reporting did not add to the flaring up of communal passions and aggravate the situation in Gujarat.
To a supplementary raised by Rajiv Ranjan Singh “Lalan” (Samata Party) whether the freedom of press was above the freedom of the country, RJD member Premchand Gupta said the press should not be gagged.
Responding to their views, Swaraj said the freedom of press was definitely under the Constitutional framework and the Press Council was there to play the role of a regulator.
Swaraj said the proposal to have a broadcasting council and a media council had been dropped in view of the proposed convergence commission, which will have a content panel to keep an eye on the print and electronic media coverage.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
