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CNN’s As Equals series expands with new three-year grant
MUMBAI: CNN’s award-winning As Equals series is expanding with a new three-year grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This grant will support CNN’s reporting on gender inequality with a particular focus on the world’s least-developed countries and increased programming about the adversities women and girls around the world endure every day.
As Equals was launched in January 2018 to underscore the acute inequalities and injustices facing women and girls from countries in the global south. Its reporting has prompted real-life impact including the commuted death sentence of teenage bride Noura Hussein and Rwandan opposition politician Diane Rwigara’s release from jail.
CNN will form a dedicated team, including six new hires, to work exclusively on gender inequality for As Equals and build out a global network with key regional partners to tell these stories from around the globe.
Women and girls are often the biggest casualties of crises. Already, Covid2019 has led to spikes in gender-based violence and restrictions in access to family planning, while warnings have been issued about the large numbers of girls who may not return to school and the corresponding increase in child marriages that will likely come from that. As the crisis continues, As Equals will keep the spotlight firmly on women’s issues as part of the global recovery efforts, including their involvement in decision making.
Through an unwavering commitment to elevate underrepresented voices and empower women journalists, the series has received accolades recognizing its stand-out work in advancing taboo subjects, innovative presentation and impactful storytelling affecting change. The compelling reporting that’s been honoured includes an investigation that revealed the Kenyan government’s pledge to send a mission to investigate substantial allegations of abuse and wrongdoing in the country’s Beirut consulate, and an interactive calculator to understand period poverty.
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Collective Artists Network reshuffles talent leadership
Fiona D’Souza, Jinal Jhaveri and Arjun Banerjee take expanded roles in core division.
MUMBAI: Collective Artists Network just handed the talent baton to its homegrown stars because when your agents have been building careers this long, it’s time to let them run the show. Collective Artists Network has announced the next phase of leadership for its talent management business, elevating senior agents Fiona D’Souza, Jinal Jhaveri and Arjun Banerjee to expanded roles within the division. The move strengthens the company’s foundational talent arm while it continues to grow into content creation and production-led ventures.
Each of the three has played a significant part in shaping artist careers across films, digital platforms and brand partnerships. Together they now represent the next generation of leadership for Collective’s talent operations, with a continued focus on long-term career building, strong partnerships and adapting representation to a fast-changing media landscape.
Collective Artists Network founder and Group CEO Vijay Subramaniam remains actively involved in guiding artist strategy and key relationships. He said, “Talent management has been the foundation on which Collective was built, and that philosophy continues to guide how we grow the company. As we enter this next phase, it’s important that the people leading this business have both deep context and long-term convictions.”
Collective Artists Network partner and head of talent Janahavi Rawal added, “Collective’s talent business has always been built on trust, long-term thinking, and a deep understanding of where artists want to go next. Fiona, Jinal, and Arjun have each played an important role in shaping the careers of the artists we represent, and this phase is about empowering our senior agents further while building the right support systems around them.”
The leadership evolution reflects Collective’s belief in promoting from within and creating clear ownership across verticals. In a talent world where yesterday’s agent is tomorrow’s partner, Collective isn’t just reshuffling chairs, it’s handing the spotlight to the people who’ve been quietly directing the show all along.
