Event Coverage
Govt is most guilty of the malaise of paid news: Akbar
MUMBAI: Senior editor M J Akbar today said the entire agitation against paid news was misplaced since the media was the greatest beneficiary of doles given out by the government.
Speaking at Ficci Frames 2010 here, he said “the biggest purchaser of news and credibility is the government.
Noting that the so-called control of content by advertisers was the least of concerns before the media, he said mediapersons were recipients of advantages like housing and government advertising in newspaper.
Furthermore, the biggest power in the media was the Board Room in the sense that content was often decided according to the business interests of the media group.
Speaking on ‘Content is king, but who dictates it – advertising, consumer taste or editorial policy’, he said the real problems for newspapers were created by the creators. This was because the biggest asset that present-day journalists and particularly managements in newspapers had was ego-mania and not news. There was very little truth in the maxim that the consumer was king and the news was in keeping with what he wanted to see or read.
He said the editors of newspapers in the fifties or sixties were more like editorial writers and did not interfere in the news – ‘in fact, they hardly ever came into the newsroom. But this changed in the seventies and particularly when the television news came in a large way.
But he said the editor as dictator could not survive for long, but nor could the consumer become dictator. And, therefore, the Board Room took over.
Referring to the advent of new technologies, he said the Internet could not be blamed for the downfall of television or newspaper. Every medium has its advantages or disadvantages. For example, he said a consumer could not carry a TV or personal computer around all the time the way a newspaper could be carried, and so the print media would remain supreme.
The Internet began dominating in the west because the newspapers were denied the democratic right to choose their news, unlike India where the newspaper has always had greater credibility with the reader.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
