News Broadcasting
Survival of small and medium newspapers critical to society: Arjun
NEW DELHI: Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh has stressed the importance for small and medium newspapers at a time when the face of Indian Media was changing because of the growth of Internet, the phenomenal rise of Satellite and cable networks, the continuing growth of regional press, and blurring of lines between news and entertainment.
He said all this had obviously led to technological and commercial pressures and changes in professional practices for the media sector.
Inaugurating a seminar on ‘Media and its Responsibilities’ here yesterday, the Minister said the media was rightly acknowledged as one of the important pillars of democracy as it performed the most critical function among institutions that contribute to the makeup of a public sphere in society. ‘It is always interesting to study how the media report and interpret political events and issues, and how media itself influences the political processes and shapes public opinion’, he said.
The Minister said it was very important for the small and medium newspapers to grow in order to ensure multiple access to media by everyone, including the poor and underprivileged sections of society. These newspapers were largely catering to information, communication and entertainment needs of rural and semi-urban India. They drew their strength from being local. One needed to appreciate that people belonging to rural areas possibly would not have access to mediums like internet and satellite and cable television. Their information requirement could either be met by Doordarshan, Radio or newspapers.
Singh said he was aware that small and medium newspapers had to face problems because of small scale of production and lack of resources for continuous technological improvement in production processes. Small newspapers, because of their inherent disability to circulate in huge numbers, and their localized nature, failed to attract enough commercial advertisements, adversely affecting the quality of news gathering and the final product.
Others who spoke at the seminar included former Governor Bhishma Narain Singh, former Central Bureau of Investigation Director Joginder Singh, former Election Commissioner G.V.G. Krishnamurthy, Mrs Deepak Sandhu who is Director General (Media & Communications) Press Information Bureau, All India Small and Medium Newspapers Federation President Gurinder Singh, and Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan.
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.
