News Broadcasting
Clampdown on media freedom during pandemic: Reporters Without Borders
NEW DELHI: International non-profit Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has claimed in its annual World Press Freedom Index report that media freedom has deteriorated during the Covid2019 pandemic.
The NGO, which works to safeguard the right to information, made this conclusion after analysing and evaluating the current state of journalism in 180 countries. The report stated that 73 per cent of the world's nations have serious issues when it comes to media freedom.
According to the report, several countries have used the pandemic as “grounds to block journalists’ access to information sources and reporting in the field.”
The Index, which measures curbs on access to information and obstacles to news coverage, highlighted that journalism is “totally blocked or seriously impeded” in 73 nations and “constrained” in 59 others.
The data indicates that journalists are finding it hard to conduct an investigation and report sensitive stories in Asia, Middle East, and Europe.
"Journalism is the best vaccine against disinformation. Unfortunately, its production and distribution are too often blocked by political, economic, technological, and, sometimes, even cultural factors. In response to the virality of disinformation across borders, on digital platforms, and via social media, journalism provides the most effective means of ensuring that public debate is based on a diverse range of established facts," said RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire.
The report also noted that public mistrust towards journalists has also increased dramatically. 59 per cent of the respondents in 28 countries claimed that journalists are intentionally publishing news despite knowing the fact that news is factually incorrect.
In India, which ranked 142nd on the Index, the government has used laws to silence critics and protesters.
“Journalists who dare to criticise the government are branded as ‘anti-state,’ ‘anti-national’ or even ‘pro-terrorist’ by supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” said the RSF. “This exposes them to public condemnation in the form of extremely violent social media hate campaigns that include calls for them to be killed, especially if they are women.”
News Broadcasting
Network18 channels lead YouTube news viewership in March 2026
CNN-News18, News18 India and CNBC channels top categories with record views
MUMBAI: When the world hit refresh on breaking news, Network18’s channels were already streaming ahead. As geopolitical tensions and war-driven headlines fuelled a surge in global news consumption, the network’s digital playbook delivered big clocking record Youtube viewership across English, Hindi and business news categories in March 2026.
At the forefront was CNN-News18, which emerged as the clear leader in the English news segment with 130 million live and video-on-demand views. The channel edged past competitors such as Times of India (126.5 million), Times Now (101.1 million), India Today (88.2 million) and NDTV (77.5 million), according to Databeings data for March.
In the Hindi news arena, News18 India delivered a commanding performance, racking up a staggering 3,297 million views on YouTube. The channel comfortably outpaced NDTV India, which recorded 3,119 million views, underlining its deep reach and consistent engagement with mass audiences, as per Playboard data.
The network’s dominance wasn’t confined to general news. In the Hindi business segment, CNBC Awaaz topped the charts with 92 million views, narrowly ahead of Zee Business (90 million) and well ahead of ET Now Swadesh (57 million). Meanwhile, its English counterpart CNBC-TV18 posted a strong 58 million views, reinforcing the network’s cross-category strength.
The spike in viewership reflects a broader shift in audience behaviour, with viewers increasingly turning to digital platforms particularly Youtube for real-time updates and in-depth coverage during high-intensity news cycles. For Network18, the numbers signal more than just scale; they underline the effectiveness of a multi-platform strategy that blends speed, credibility and continuous coverage.
In a month where the news never paused, it seems viewers chose to stay tuned where the stream never stopped.
