News Broadcasting
‘FocusAsia’ bags Human Rights Press award for 4th successive year
HONG KONG: Star’s news special FocusAsia is going from strength to strength. A few days ago, a reporter for the show Joe Kainz won first prize in the English television category of The Eighth Human Rights Press Awards . His report tackled tribal law courts in Pakistan.
Jirga Justice, is about the abuse of power and shocking verdicts in “jirga”, the tribal courts that often take the place of regular courts in many regions of Pakistan.
In India, FocusAsia airs on Star World every Sunday at 5:30pm. Commenting on the award, Star’s VP network news and current affairs Jim Laurie said:”This award is a testament to the high journalistic standards across Star’s news programmes. We are proud to be able to produce committed, quality television reporting of particular relevance to Asians.”
An official release informs that FocusAsia explores a wide range of social, economic and political issues across the Asia region and provides an in-depth and investigative look at the issues shaping Asia today. Since its launch in January 2000 FocusAsia’s team has traveled to 18 countries, filed more than 180 reports.
The Human Rights Press Awards are co-sponsored by the Hong Kong Journalists Association, Amnesty International (Hong Kong) and the Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club. They recognise work that increases respect for the basic rights of all people, heightens general awareness of human rights issues and focuses attention upon them.
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
