MAM
TOI, Dainik Bhaskar launch initiative to counter fake news menace
MUMBAI: The Times of India Group, along with the Dainik Bhaskar Group, has launched an initiative titled, Kaun Banega, Kaun Banayega, which is a series of films to highlight the fake news malaise in India and educate readers on the importance of reading the newspaper.
Two films out of the seven-video series got a positive response from social media with over 2.9 million views. The campaign ended at a whopping 4.3 million views across all seven films.
Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32CT7MP4dLw
Link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONlcMHlxqLE
Check out the rest of the videos here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChSOe-xjiMuV42jphH7jD5Q/videos
Commenting on the initiative, BCCL president – revenue Sivakumar Sundaram said, “Fake news is a modern-day malaise brought on by social media. It ranges from the silly to grave ‘forwards’ having repercussions that affect the social, economic and cultural fabric of nations. As gatekeepers of the truth and as a leading newspaper company, The Times of India takes on the responsibility of educating people on the need to follow real news and not forwards. This is being done in an engaging and humorous manner through a series of films titled, Kaun Banega, Kaun Banayega. We are happy to partner with the Dainik Bhaskar Group to jointly drive this initiative.”
Newspapers have historically been considered as the most credible source of news. Multiple studies across time have revealed that consumers consider what appears in print to be the truth. Even in today’s digital age, sensible people wait for the newspaper the next morning to verify the news they get as forwards. This is because newspaper brands follow a stringent process of verifying news and sources before it gets printed. A large team of journalists work endlessly to deliver authentic news to the best of their ability.
Dainik Bhaskar Group promoter director said, “Sharing a common responsibility, two of the largest media houses in the country have decided to come together to spread awareness on the menace of fake news. We will continue to work together on this issue and others of citizen and national importance.”
Jack in the Box Worldwide managing partner Axon Alex (in the picture) said, “Fake news perpetuated through forwards is more dangerous today than ever before. While the problem is being talked about in a serious tone, we deliberately took another approach to drive the relevance and importance of the printed newspaper in delivering the truth. We wanted to shine the spotlight on regular people using the quiz show format where such forwards are the last thing you should rely on and those who do, look very silly to both the host Cyrus Broacha and the viewer. The question at the end of every film – “Where do you get your news from?” is for the viewer to introspect on. Their answer decides if they are just as silly or well informed. So, ‘Where do you get your news from?”
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
