News Broadcasting
Star News empowers viewer to ‘be the reporter’
NEW DELHI: In an effort to further broaden its viewership and involve the audience more, Star News has decided to turn the common man into a TV journalist through an initiative that is called ‘You Be The Reporter’.
“Through `You Be The Reporter’, we not only want to become relevant to our audience, but also involve them in our endeavour to give them news and information that they would like to watch and/or highlight,” Star News president Ravina Raj Kohli told indiantelevision.com on a day when the whole country, especially Delhi, was all agog with the news of Aveek Sarkar of Ananda Bazar Patrika group was all set to pick up 74 per cent equity stake in the news venture.
Though, Kohli had evaded all questions on Star News’ restructuring — even dismissing a business newspaper report as being not true — she did admit that several initiatives are in the pipeline to involve the audience more with the news channel.
According to Kohli, `You Be The Reporter’ will allow any person to call up a designated number — to begin with in Mumbai — and give information on a happening or even something that he/she would like Star News to cover.
“After the information is verified, it’d be used by the news channel with due credit given to the person,” she added.
However, TV industry critics said that such initiatives are okay to begin with, but as time passes bogus information keeps piling up and a channel may face problems weeding out the wanted from the unwanted.
Agreeing to this, Kohli said that this is something that Star News would have to live with, though efforts would be made to minimise the junk. Still, she maintained that initiatives like this would “increase the involvement of the audience” with the channel.
The promos for this new initiative is likely to go on air soon on Star News, probably towards the last leg of commercial time on the channel’s new blockbuster programme Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri (Who’ll Become the Chief Minister).
According to Kohli, the promos have been put on the cable networks already. “As we get a toll free unified four-digit number for the whole country, we’d try to expand the initiative to other parts of the country soon.”
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
