News Broadcasting
Indian campaigners at centre of Al Jazeera global brand campaign
MUMBAI: Al Jazeera English has made virtue of putting real people on its billboards and television commercials rather than its own star presenters and correspondents.
The channel’s new brand campaign is its largest marketing push to-date, and the slogan “Hear the Human Story” was unveiled at its global launch in South Africa today. The brand film featured at the special event was about the Gulabi Gang, also known as “vigilantes in pink”, who tackle issues such as violence against women and corruption in northern India.
Al Anstey, managing director of Al Jazeera English, said that the channel covered all the big themes and issues facing the world today, but did so from the perspective of real people: “We believe everyone has a story worth hearing. There are seven billion people to listen to on the planet right now. Al Jazeera exists to cover the people often ignored. People whose voices must be heard – but who are so often neglected by mainstream media.”
“Our editorial mission is to cover the world without a perspective. What that means is not seeing the globe through a geographical or cultural prism,by not weighting our coverage towards West, the rich nations, or anywhere else. We cover the developing world as much as the developed. So person in Bangui is given as much humanity as a person in Boston or Birmingham.”
Commenting on the choice of Johannesburg as the location for the launch, rather than the traditional financial centres favoured by other channels, AlJazeera executive director for marketing and distribution Abdulla Alnajjar said: “In a world where the truth is everywhere under attack, Al Jazeera puts the human being at the centre of its news agenda, giving a voice to the voiceless. This campaign is about human stories and we’re proud that theglobal launch for the campaign is here from South Africa, a region rich with history and human stories.”
“There is a common perception that the media are mainly interested in covering those in power, or the rich and famous. Our campaign gives a voice to the many people around the world who feel that they have been leftbehind.
“Our coverage is not about only about portraying difficult situations – its about the triumph of the human spirit and the ability for people in the most difficult of situations to make change. It’s on that foundation that we built this campaign honouring their lives and struggles. This campaign showcases incredible human stories and the humanity that unites us all.”
Some of the others featured in the campaign include: Kiki Katese who started a group of female drummers in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide; and Illac Diaz who brought lighting to slums in the Philippines using plastic bottles.
Al Jazeera English also point out that they aired a film about MalalaYousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize winning teenager who campaigns for the right of girls to go to school, two years before she hit the headlines when she was shot by the Taliban. “We have extraordinary people like Malalaon our screens every single day. Their stories are inspiring and must also receive attention,” said Anstey.
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.
