News Broadcasting
Faye D’Souza launches news channel on Firework
MUMBAI: Now we know what firebrand journo Faye D’souza will be doing. She has partnered with short video content platform FireWork. A channel called Facts first with Faye has been launched.
Its focus: “Everything you need to know about what’s happening in the world. News like it should be done.”
The channel has already got 727 followers, and Faye has been posting videos of between 20-30 seconds each. And the stories cover a wide swathe of topics: Harry & Meghan’s Mexit, Transgenders in Census, Controversial Brazil President to visit India, India ranked 76 out of 82, Shah won’t withdraw CAA, India Dragging Global economy, Delhi under NSA, among many others.
Faye has been giving her unique take in the news clips. For instance: “Brazil’s president being the chief guest at the republic day parade, sends a signal that we are encouraging that kind of culture.”
The videos are simple and have her giving pieces to camera – shot probably with her phone – interspersed with graphics.
Faye has also been active on twitter. And she has been pretty brazen and fearless. Her response to a tweet posted by NDTV stating that Amit Shah has dared Rahul Gandhi, Mamta Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav to a public debate on Citizenship Act at rally in Lucknow went as follows: “Mr Home Minister. I respectfully volunteer to debate with you on the CAA. Just say when!”
Firework India CEO Sunil Nair said “Firework’s news segments with Faye D’Souza will be a gamechanger in the short format video category. This format of news is crafted keeping in mind the preferences of younger millennials between the age of 18 and 25, matching their fast-paced lifestyle and their need to consume content on the go in vertical format. Youngsters in this age group prefer quick news rather than extended television debates, and at the same time is a concerned and well-informed citizen. This is where Firework’s news format will be disruptive providing the point information without the repetitious and at times frivolous long format broadcast news. The current generation does not identify with many of the faces that have been on TV channels for a really long time, Faye helps news bridge the gap and talks directly to her audience in a way that they understand the news quickly”.
This will be a first of its kind interactive news that will enable real time interaction between Faye and her viewers, driving deeper engagement and participation. Initially Faye will post 4 news segments on weekdays and with a single segment on the weekends. Each segment will be a 30 second clip titled “Facts First with Faye”
Faye D’Souza said “News today offers anything but clarity of information. The youth in India are intelligent, opinionated and are looking for a source of news that gives them unbiased information in a short and crisp format that can be consumed “on the go”, 'Facts First with Faye’ will do just that. Firework is an innovative tech led platform that will help offer news and entertainment to the youth that prefers to ignore long drawn and unverified commentary”
Firework launched its video network in India in October 2019 and takes pride in its two- step moderation protocol. While its moderation is largely based on AI algorithms, its content also goes through careful human moderation. This will ensure that any content that is distributed is not only within the legal boundaries of India, but also filters content that may be discriminatory towards any section of the democracy.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
