News Broadcasting
Editors Guild constitutes legal advisory panel on media freedom
NEW DELHI: The Editors Guild of India has constituted a legal advisory panel that will advise and work with it on important issues pertaining to press freedom. It shared in a statement that the panel will help the Guild craft responses to the complex web of civil and criminal laws that are used by authorities to suppress media freedom.
The members of the panel include former union minister, Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, senior Supreme Court advocates Shyam Diwan, Sanjay Hegde, and Menaka Guruswamy, senior Delhi high court advocate Rajiv Nayar, advocate Prashant Kumar, and advocate Shahrukh Alam.
The Guild also stated, “The panel will be expanded in the coming days to include more members of the legal fraternity from across different states, who have worked in the realm of freedom of expression and media related issues.”
The Editors Guild of India announces a Legal Advisory Panel to advise and work with the Guild on issues of press freedom. @KapilSibal Shyam Divan, Rajiv Nayar @Sanjayuvacha2 @MenakaGuruswamy, Prashant Kumar, Shahrukh Alam pic.twitter.com/d7EYtIqTCz
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) November 25, 2020
The move comes in the wake of concerns raised over freedom of the press following several high-profile arrests of journalists across the country. While the case of Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami being taken into police custody and his subsequent release on bail was highly publicised, some other instances of arrest may have slipped under the average person's radar. Kerala-based reporter Siddique Kappan was arrested by Uttar Pradesh police and charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, while on his way to cover the Hathras incident. Manipuri journalist Kishorechandra Wangkhem was arrested in October on charges of sedition for responding to a viral social media post made by the wife of a BJP politician. Ahan Penkar, a journalist with The Caravan magazine faced the brunt of police highhandedness when he was detained for several hours, his phone was taken away from him and its contents deleted by Delhi police officials.
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.
