Editorial

Let’s clean it up

“There is a great deal to clean within, and perhaps a start can be made to make the story more important than the reporter/anchor”

Cover Story

Home turf heroes

A TSI C-voter survey homed in on successful TV channels and newspapers in 18 Indian states. We spoke to decision-makers in these media houses. Without exception, all of them attributed their success to their special connect with the common man

‘We don't differentiate between sensational and non sensational news'

We have a separate team that goes out with hidden cameras to expose corruption which is prevalent in our system

‘Our accuracy and innovation have built a bond of trust with the viewers’

Viewers in Orissa are extremely intelligent. They want accurate, impartial and unbiased news

“Sambad’s honeymoon with readers is an outcome of exciting experiments”

To me, strategy means doing something new, something different. I sincerely followed this rule

‘I don’t think ownership can affect a media house’

There is no conflict, but there is healthy competition among all channels. They try to raise their TRPs by all possible means

“Ours is the voice of Assamese regionalism”

One of our objectives as a newspaper is to help preserve the rich cultural tradition of Assam

‘ABN Andhra Jyoti is a movement, not merely a news presenting medium’

If the professional journalists take the reins of media houses, ethical journalism would prevail

‘We have a pan India reach’

I think our success is due to our commitment towards the Gujarati people and the Gujarati language

‘We started with a borrowed capital of Rs 500’

The newspaper grew with deepening faith and today it stands as one of the most credible newspapers in India

‘If the owner of a news channel is a capitalist, news becomes a casualty’

Viewers in Kashmir are highly sensitive and they appreciate the unbiased and impartial reporting of Etv

‘We cater to mainly the middle and the upper middle classes'

Our agenda is our promotional strategy. We are also honest and transparent about what we do

‘We have love for news. We think, eat and breathe news’

We are usually the first to get visulas from the spot. This is possible because every 20 kilometres, we have a reporter

“I am not a thinker or leader, i am the voice of the aam aadmi”

Maharashtra has become a difficult place for journalists. More than 3,000 journalists have been attacked

‘News channels have started deciding the agenda of the print media'

We provide good content that includes articles from Marathi intellectuals. We try taking bold steps, too

‘Why should intellectual personalities waste their time in social networks?’

Competition has made media persons and media managements more sensitive to the issues, thereby quality has gone up

‘There is no strategy except staying close to the reader’

The library movement is very strong (in Kerala). There is practically no village without a library

‘We play a neutral role’

ETV provides reliable information to its viewers. It has reach in even remote villages of Bihar. This is one of the important reasons behind our popularity. Besides, our reporters confirm and verify the news at every level. We don’t run after “Breaking news.”

‘No' to strategy

I think “strategy” is a word for the market – the bazaar. This word cannot survive in journalism. A single word, “problem”, is sufficient to define the popularity of media houses. Voicing the various problems of society are, according to me, the most important. I have, therefore, talked about only core issues that concern those at the grass roots.

‘We are very clear that we are catering to a lower middle class audience’

UP is the most difficult state to report from. There are pressures, but it depends on how you deal with them

Guest Column

Why media loves to loathe Mayawati

Nothing better illustrates the visceral hostility in the mainstream Indian media against Dalit supremo Mayawati than the recent flurry of headlines and commentaries on her supposed imperious and wasteful ways based on Wikileaks revelations.

Profile

Business in the box

Zee’s ‘business’ man Samir Ahluwalia believes in innovation and continued hard work. In a candid talk with ANANDO BHAKTO, he tells us about his profession, his family, and how the commitment to help people make informed business decisions took Zee where it is today.

Interview

Who is in Guantanamo?

“I thought that something had gone terribly wrong in the United States in its response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11”

Cyberscope

Web Journalism in India – Mature Adult or Feisty Teen?

It was conceived out of serendipity, when Tim Berners Lee attempted to organise the resources at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland by developing a personal database of people and software models in 1980.

Media's Might

WikiLeaks and its wars

On October 4, 2006, when the internet had already hosted over 90 million websites worldwide, the birth of one more barely caused a ripple.

Activism

Does the media have the right to appeal?

A recent order of the Bombay High Court in the Times Now vs Justice P.B. Sawant defamation suit has asked Times Global Broadcasting Co Limited to deposit Rs 20 crore in cash and Rs 80 crore as bank guarantee in the court.