News Broadcasting
CNN gets top credibility rating among US news networks
MUMBAI: Rival Fox News from the Rupert Murdoch stable may have the numbers, but when it comes to credibility it is CNN that tops all TV news organizations in the US, according to a recent study.
The findings of the study, released on Sunday, 4 August, by the Pew Research Centre for the People and the Press, found that viewers trust the news network more than any other television news organization. CNN has held the top spot for believability since the study began in 1985, a CNN release says. The Pew Research Center is an independent opinion research group that studies public attitudes toward the press, politics and public policy issues.
Of the 1,365 adults surveyed, 37 per cent rated CNN as the most believable. Additionally, the study also found:
CNN’s closest competitor was CBS’ 60 Minutes with 34 per cent giving the news magazine the top grade.
Twenty-eight per cent gave MSNBC high marks for believability;
Fox News garnered 24 per cent of the votes;
The major networks scored an average of 25 per cent.
While CNN may have scored when compared to other news networks, the survey also points out that the image of the media overall has slipped dramatically compared to what it was in the immediate aftermath of the 11 September 11 attacks. The patriotic fervour that united the country then has been tempered since and US public opinion regarding the “messenger” has slipped, coinciding with growing concerns about the economy and business scandals, the survey says.
“The favourable glow from the media’s post-9/11 performance has completely disappeared. As the media’s focus has shifted away from terrorism, Americans regard news organisations with the same degree of scepticism as they did in the 1990s,” Pew has been quoted as stating in the report.
In the survey, conducted in July, only 49 per cent of the respondents said that news organisations are highly professional, down from 73 per cent in November, the Press Trust of India has reported.
News Broadcasting
Mihir Bhatt appointed as chief content officer at News18 Studios
The media veteran brings two decades of experience across television, digital and radio to one of India’s biggest broadcast networks, Disney+ Hotstar, Discovery+
NEW DELHI: Network18 has a new strategist in the building. Mihir Bhatt, one of Indian media’s more versatile operators, has joined News18 Studios as chief content officer, stepping into a role that will see him shape content strategy, build multi-platform properties and drive brand partnerships across the network.
Bhatt brings more than two decades of experience spanning television, digital and radio, with a track record of doing something rare in Indian media: combining editorial ambition with hard commercial results. At Times Network, where he served as managing editor and chief business officer of Times Influence, he built one of the industry’s more respected content studios, launching marquee properties such as the India Economic Conclave, the Times Now Summit and Leaders of Tomorrow. He also pushed the network into premium OTT territory through tie-ups with Disney+ Hotstar and Discovery+.
His resume stretches well beyond the studio. Bhatt has led Global Investor Summits for multiple state governments, worked alongside the World Economic Forum and played a pivotal role in launching the Indian Pickleball League. Earlier, as editor of Zee Business, he pioneered investor education initiatives that are still cited as industry benchmarks.
At News18 Studios, Bhatt will report to chief executive S Shivakumar and will oversee the studios execution vertical alongside revenue verticals covering emerging markets and campaigns. Sidharth Saini, Hemanth Kumar and Nimar Sarkaria will work under him.
Rahul Joshi, managing director and editor-in-chief of Network18 Group, made the announcement in an internal communication. “Mihir’s ability to build enduring brands, foster strategic partnerships and navigate a rapidly evolving media landscape will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our position and explore new avenues of growth in the Studios business,” Joshi said.
In a media industry lurching between disruption and reinvention, Network18 has bet on a man who has spent two decades thriving in exactly that chaos. Whether he can do it again, at greater scale, is the question worth watching.
