News Broadcasting
Swaraj stresses importance of media
NEW DELHI: The information and broadcasting minister Sushma Swaraj has called upon the media to introspect and contribute to make India a strong and a vibrant democratic India to take its due place in the comity of nations.
Delivering her address at a function to mark National Press Day, here on Friday, Swaraj regretted that in today’s media scenario, which has undergone a sea change after the technology explosion, sensational news has edged out developmental and positive news. In a race for being the first and most sensational, positive aspects of news items are being sacrificed, she said. Sensation may be a good saleable commodity commercially, but it is not in the overall interests of the country, she added.
The eminent jurist and MP, FS Nariman, who delivered the keynote address on ‘Future of India: Role of Media’ said that the media must be sensitive to the people’s problems and should lean on the side of the weak and the oppressed. It must be responsible to the Constitution and the country and not to the government, the business houses or the politicians. A free and robust press is a must for the successful functioning of our democratic system, Nariman said.
The chairman of the Press Council of India, Justice Jaichandra Reddy, said that the spirit of the freedom struggle have to be revived and media must re-dedicate itself to the good old values of the profession of journalism. Small and medium newspapers, which have more and better access to rural and far-flung areas, have a greater role in awakening the people, he said.
Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi presided over the function.
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.
