News Broadcasting
News18 HSM Network’s new campaign highlights the need for following traffic rules
Mumbai: News18 Network, which has always been at the forefront of picking up issues that have a direct and significant impact on viewers, launched a new campaign to focus on road safety issues.
News18 Bihar/Jharkhand and News18 Uttar Pradesh/Uttarakhand will specifically focus on the importance of wearing a helmet with their campaigns “Helmet lagaiye, surakshit ghar aayiye” and “Helmet pehno, surakshit raho,” respectively. News18 Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh will also be launching a special awareness drive titled “Sadak, Suraksha…Saavdhani.”
The campaigns will consist of special stories, ground reports, and special interviews. The focus will be on not only engaging viewers and the public at large but also partnering with local authorities. The key objective would be to highlight the dangers of ignoring traffic rules through various case studies and discussions with experts.
The campaigns will also encourage a constructive discussion on the root cause for such behaviour but more importantly will focus on ways and means of encouraging widespread adherence to traffic rules. By spreading awareness and sensitising viewers, these campaigns will certainly aim to have a tangible impact by reducing road fatalities. They will also focus on ways and means of strengthening the enforcement of traffic rules and highlight any lacunae in road/traffic infrastructure that need to be addressed.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 rolls out Battle for the States ahead of key polls
Multi-format election coverage tracks voter mood across five battleground states
NEW DELHI: CNN-News18 has launched a special election programming initiative titled Battle for the States, as India gears up for high-stakes Assembly elections across West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry.
Built around the theme ‘Road to Power’, the multi-format coverage aims to follow the entire electoral journey, from campaigning and polling to results and government formation. The network is leaning into on-ground reportage and data-backed storytelling to decode voter sentiment across regions where local issues often shape the narrative.
The programming line-up includes ‘Vote Tracker’, a three-part series developed in collaboration with survey agency Vote Vibe. The show blends survey insights with expert commentary and field reporting, using augmented reality graphics to present complex electoral data such as vote share, seat projections and leadership preferences in a more accessible format. It will air every Monday evening until April 6.
Adding a cultural lens to political reporting is ‘So Saree!’, a ground-driven segment where women anchors travel across constituencies dressed in traditional handwoven sarees from each state. The format uses attire as a storytelling device, highlighting regional identity while capturing grassroots voices.
Meanwhile, ‘Unfiltered Kaapi’ and ‘Chai-Niti’ bring a more conversational tone, drawing inspiration from everyday political discussions in tea stalls and coffee corners. These segments aim to break down key issues through candid, fast-paced exchanges between anchors and reporters, tailored to regional sensibilities.
For viewers seeking deeper insights, the weekend docuseries ‘Reporters Project’ takes a longer view, with correspondents travelling across constituencies to map voter concerns and political shifts on the ground.
“Elections are about people, their aspirations, identities and the issues that matter to them, and every state tells a different story,” said CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar. He added that the initiative focuses on understanding “the sentiment on the ground and what’s driving voter choices”.
Echoing the emphasis on credibility, Network18 CEO – English and business news Smriti Mehra said the network aims to combine on-ground reporting with data-led insights to deliver clear and timely coverage as the elections unfold.
With a mix of data, culture and grassroots reporting, CNN-News18 is positioning Battle for the States as a comprehensive window into one of India’s most closely watched electoral cycles, where every vote carries a story waiting to be told.
