News Broadcasting
UP miscreants attack, burn CNN-IBN vehicle
MUMBAI: Journalists under attack is becoming an increasingly common phenomenon. The capital Lucknow of India’s largest state Uttar Pradesh was the scene of an attack today on a vehicle belonging to English news channel CNN-IBN.
In an incident that happened this afternoon, four masked assailants surrounded a CNN-IBN vehicle in Lucknow, dragged the driver and the attendant out and beat them up. They also burned the vehicle. The attack comes less than 24 hours after the channel aired a story on UP politician Mayawati’s assets, which the CBI is investigating.
CNN-IBN editor-in-chief Rajdeep Sardesai says, “We strongly condemn the incident, which took place this afternoon in Lucknow. We demand for a full inquiry and want a judicial probe into this incident. We are not blaming anyone. We express deep concern over the violence directed towards journalists. In the best traditions of freedom of the press, journalists must be allowed to perform their professional duties free from violence and intimidation. Today it is CNN-IBN; tomorrow it could be another channel or newspaper.”
The month of February witnessed several such attacks. In Maharashtra, the offices of Zee Telefilms were trashed by workeres owing allegiance to the right wing Hindu nationalist party Shiv Sena over a skit at an awards function that lampooned the internal feuds within the Thackeray family.
In another incident, about 20 journalists were injured when supporters of Kerala Industries minister PK Kunhalikutty (who was charged with sexual exploitation) attacked media personnel covering his arrival from Saudi Arabia. The vehicle of the Malayali television news channel India Vision was completely damaged in the attack.
“Media freedom is at stake, and the media needs to stand together as one,” Sardesai asserted.
News Broadcasting
India Today Group sweeps top honours at Ramnath Goenka Awards
Journalists recognised for fearless investigative and civic reporting.
MUMBAI: India Today Group just turned the Ramnath Goenka Awards into its own trophy cabinet because when your reporters dig this deep, even the judges have to award a clean sweep. India Today Group journalists have secured multiple top honours at the latest edition of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards, reinforcing the network’s legacy as the gold standard of Indian journalism. The awards were conferred by vice president C. P. Radhakrishnan at a ceremony held on 27 March 2026.
Sreya Chatterjee won in the ‘Investigative Reporting – Broadcast’ category for her powerful India Today TV report ‘Operation Illegals: The Alarming Rise in Bangladeshi Infiltration Across India’s Fragile Eastern Frontier’. The investigation stood out for its depth, on-ground rigour and national relevance.
In the ‘Civic Journalism – Print/Digital’ category, Sreya Chatterjee along with Arvind Ojha were honoured for their indiatoday.in report on unregulated water extraction and the ‘Tanker Mafia’ in Delhi’s Bawana Industrial Area. The story exposed critical systemic gaps and environmental challenges affecting daily life.
Additionally, aajtak.in was recognised in the ‘Investigative Reporting – Print/Digital’ category for its hard-hitting exposé ‘The Surrogate Mother Market’, which highlighted the human, legal and ethical dimensions of the surrogacy ecosystem.
India Today Group emerged as the only network honoured in Investigative Journalism across both Print/Digital and Broadcast categories. The wins reflect the strength of its multi-platform newsroom and its unwavering commitment to credible, high-impact reporting that informs public discourse and drives accountability.
In an era when speed often trumps substance, these awards remind us that the most powerful stories are still the ones dug out with courage, told with clarity, and delivered with conscience, one fearless byline at a time.
