News Broadcasting
BBC websites claim 180 m. impressions due to Iraq conflict
LONDON: News organisations are seeing a spurt in the take up of services offered not just on air, but also online on account of the ongoing Iraq conflict. A case in point is the BBC World Service which claims that its international sites have attracted 180 million page impressions this month – more than 80 million of them in the last eight days.
Its programme Talking Point, through which listeners can quiz world leaders, has received more than 160,000 emails commenting on the war. The BBC Hindi version of Talking Point, Aapki Baat BBC Ke Saath, invited listeners to question the former Indian Prime Minister I K Gurjal on 23 March. The programme received over 100 requests from people wanting to participate and 40 emails, six of them from the Gulf region.
In order to gain further perspective from the Arab world, BBC Arabic launched its own version of the show Nuqtat Hewar. The first programme took 93 calls in the first hour.
With mobile talk gaining rapidly across the globe, it is not surprising that text messaging from mobile phones have increased substantially over the course of the past few days. BBC World Service editors and producers are using the feedback to inform programme making and to create new programme opportunities for people to interact.
Text messages to the English service have gone up ten-fold since 18 March with around 6,000 messages sent to date. A few days ago, BBC Somali launched a text messaging facility and claims to have received nearly 800 views on the war in Iraq.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
