General Elections are for news channels what IPL is to sports and entertainment channels. The stakes are high, after all it is the period when the nation is undoubtedly hooked on to the TV news channels, heavily relying on them to give a peek into what the future leaders of the country may look like. The question is after juggling between great content, innovation, packaging and in depth on ground coverage, which news channel actually manages to earn the viewer’s loyalty.
Kalli Purie
Vice Chairperson and Executive Editor-in-Chief, India Today Group
“The general election is always the Olympic Games for a news media organisation. A culmination of five years of hard work and good stories. And we build up to it.
We train for it for five years and thus for us, the general election is like the final climax. No cost is spared, no chances are taken and we really go for gold. You would have seen that in all the attempts and efforts that we have made through this election season. Whether it’s the helicopter shot with Anjana Om Kashyap in Aaj Tak or having the best pollster in the business, Pradeep Gupta for the exit poll which you will see on the 1st of June, or having our top anchors from Rajdeep, Rahul, Anjana, Chitra, Sweta, all on the ground. Because there is no better way to get you the pulse of the nation than being on the ground. Not through a filtration system of Chinese whispers.
The viewer can get the closest they can to the ground from the comfort of their armchair.
We have also used AI quite well in this election. It has really helped us in translating, transcribing and doubling up our efforts in the magic that we create through our stories. The purpose of any media organisation is to tell the best stories to as many people as possible. And there is no better time than elections to do it.
So, what you see in the general elections is our blood and sweat for the last five years, what we have built in terms of our credibility, in terms of our analysis, in terms of our news brands and reporter brands that people are willing to trust. That’s why so often during the elections you see social media fighting over our stories. And the same interview will be used by the Congress to say one thing and the BJP another. And I think that that’s a real medal for us because it means that we are successful in our purpose of being a democratic newsroom, because both parties or both sides believe that we are the platform of choice.”
“AajTak resolutely endeavoured to deliver comprehensive election coverage, ensuring no voice remained unheard, even from the remotest corners and the last person standing in the electorate. AajTak took a steadfast commitment to grassroots democracy through extensive ground reporting. From meticulously crafted exit polls to multifaceted programs spanning ‘Jal,’ ‘Thal,’ and ‘Vayu,’ (Water, Land and Air routes) AajTak delivered a complete kaleidoscopic perspective. AajTak provided a Bird’s Eye View through ‘Rajtilak Helicopter Shot’. The engaging ‘E Joy Bike Reporter’ traversed every corner of the country and provided an extensive coverage, while ‘Suniye Netaji’ amplified the common citizen’s manifesto. The immersive ‘Vande Bharat Yatra’ witnessed reporters journeying via the Vande Bharat express train to get the nation’s mood. AajTak uniquely combined the nation’s mood and cuisine in its “Lunch Break” segment. Additionally, it delivered detailed election coverage through programs like “Chunaavi Shankhnaad” and “Dilli ke Dil mein kaun,” capturing the the people’s pulse. AajTak’s unwavering trust was demonstrated as we secured major interviews with prominent figures, including Prime Minister Modi, opposition leader Priyanka Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, Tejashwi Yadav, and ruling party heavyweights like J.P. Nadda, Amit Shah, and Rajnath Singh, during this critical election period.”
Supriya Prasad
News Director, TV Today
“An election campaign is the best time to learn about India, its netas and its people. Once elected, netas put up a facade that suits them. It is when they are seeking votes that netas are vulnerable and that’s when you get to learn about the real person behind the polished public persona. This is why it is very important for me personally and for the entire team at the India Today Group to travel extensively during the elections. Anchors and editors in other channels have been sitting in their AC studios and waxing about the elections. It is the insights that one picks up from the field that set India Today and Aaj Tak’s coverage apart from competition. India Today’s coverage on counting day will be a formidable combination of insights gleaned by our editors and anchors from the field and cutting-edge analytics drawn in real time from the Election Intelligence Dashboard (EID), which is arguably the most powerful election analytics engine developed anywhere in the world. We have worked non-stop over the past six months to prepare for June 4 and I hope our viewers are wowed by what they see when counting starts.”
Rahul Kanwal
News Director, TVTN & Executive Director, Business Today
‘Without the chopper we couldn’t have covered 100 constituencies in 30 days’
Anjana Om Kashyap, Managing Editor -Special Projects speaks about covering 100 constituencies in 30 days through her show ‘Rajtilak- Aaj Tak Ka helicopter shot’
Q] What were the big challenges that went into the creation of ‘Rajtilak- Aaj Tak Ka helicopter shot’?
Apart from taking permissions from the DGCA for putting up our Aaj Tak branding on the chopper which came very last minute, the big challenge was the need for a helipad to land the helicopter in these constituencies. Because they didn’t exist in most of the places, we constructed those helipads in several schools/ colleges which was our chosen site for the show. Strict guidelines had to be followed after making those 100 helipads. Another problem was that the chopper didn’t have air conditioning and the temperature was nearly 45 degrees outside. As soon as we would go up, the heat became difficult to manage. A container with equipments, a bus with PCR, and the chopper had to travel together to cover 3-5 seats in a day, it took massive planning.
Q] You started your career at Doordarshan which had a straightforward approach to showing news. If you were to compare Rajtilak and your other show Halla Bol with that, which way of delivering news would you say is more effective and why?
The ideal way for delivering news just has two conditions. Both sides should be given an equal opportunity to say what they want to, one must not pick sides and put forth only one point of view. And that’s why I love doing this show. Delivering news as it is, is also extremely vital to this whole profession. But at the same time, you can’t exist in a studio bubble.
Q] Like Rajtilak, during budget last year you shot in an amusement park. Can good content stand on its feet or does it need the crutch of packaging?
There are 543 seats in all, what are the chances of covering 100 constituencies out of that in a month? It wouldn’t have been possible without a chopper, at best I could have managed 30 constituencies in 30 days by driving from city to city but the idea was to reach 100. People went overboard on the chopper part, but that was only the means to take me to those places. Similarly for our budget coverage last year, we had the choice of shooting it in the studio or with a virtual background. But we chose to do it at a height of 160 feet. So that was more about presentation and Rajtilak about logistics.
Q] Overall has Aaj Tak managed to secure the number one position on the TRP charts, during the election period?
We are always there amongst the top names. Let’s just see this very differently people may go to other channels for infotainment or entertainment but when elections are underway people don’t believe any channel other than Aaj Tak. We have built our credibility over the years and that’s the biggest stamp for us.
Q] After a slip of tongue at your end, ‘Anjana Om Modi’ meme went viral years ago. How do you counter allegations of bias as a journalist?
So, these are a few of the risks that we as TV journalists face. I am obviously unbiased and our work is to put forth both sides of the story. In this case the first sentence of the anchor link was Modi. And while I was introducing myself, the first word on the prompter showed up and I read it accidentally. Somehow that became the biggest national issue for people who were baiting me and they blew it up.
Q] During the Jahangirpuri demolitions, you rode in a bulldozer which was deemed ‘insensitive’ by a lot of people, and yet when the ratings came out, Aaj Tak had skyrocketed in that period of coverage. So, is there that constant dilemma, what is your laxman rekha?
So, while I was covering the demolition, stones were pelted on police, so we went to capture it live. A bulldozer was going there too and I was just climbing on it to do a PTC (piece to camera) for our evening show, when it started moving. So, he said, ‘ma’am we are taking it on the side, you can do it there’. I agreed, and went with them. I had no clue that they will do live demolition at that time. My camera was rolling, live view was on and they started demolishing the sensitive places. So naturally it went live. At one end it was great because we were there to capture it as a news channel, get the first visuals as the other channels came in much later. But was it planned? Definitely not. People took it differently and felt that was insensitive. The moment the bulldozer reached there, I immediately got down because it was part of the government action and I didn’t want to be party to it. So, we instantly got off. We as journalists are always treading on very dangerous ground and need to be careful. And that is why, I weigh every word that I say in my mind. But where I was mattered more than what I was saying, that is the sad part.
“This is my tenth general election as a journalist and as always, I am loving and living every moment of it. Criss crossing the country as diverse as India is always a joy. Remember true journalism is not in a TV studio but in the gullies and mohallas where real India lives and breathes. Whoever wins, it has been another memorable experience with the India Today team.”
Rajdeep Sardesai
Consulting Editor, India Today TV
“Contrary to popular belief that the Prime Minister avoids tough questions, he addressed all topics candidly. Since no one else asked about his relationship with Ambani and Adani, I did, and PM Modi responded openly. He emphasized that India should respect wealth creators while punishing the corrupt. This was one of the key takeaways for me from what was a very comprehensive interview.”
Sudhir Chaudhary
Consulting Editor, Aaj Tak
“I covered the Election dynamics through three shows. Issue based show Shwetpatra - ground report combined with data that provides a thorough analysis. Voter based show ‘Voter Ganga Kinare Wala’ that builds on issues of people who live along the banks of the river Ganga. This spanned through five states and 50 seats. And lastly, a politician-based show ‘Seat Superhit’ that focuses on all the hot seats of the country.”
Sweta Singh
Managing Editor, GNT & Aaj Tak Programming
“The 2024 elections are special, thus we decided to do an end to end ground report from every corner of the country. We journeyed from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to reach Lalchowk in Srinagar where we saw the biggest change. The same place where there was firing, stone pelting etc in the earlier days, there this time when I reported live, people stood in queues to hear what Aaj Tak had to report and praised our coverage of the elections.”
Chitra Tripathi
Senior Editor, Special Projects, Aaj Tak
“On Election Despatch, sometimes what you hear and what you see is tragic. Caught in the middle of the world’s biggest election are the common folk, with their little hopes, small demands and their insignificant heartbreak, like the story of Guptaji in Raebareli!”
Preeti Choudhry
Executive Editor, India Today TV
“‘Election Express’ is the perfect vehicle to gauge the pulse of the nation during elections as a mobile broadcast platform. Constantly on the move, this express brings honest, grassroot journalism to the drawing room of the viewer with interviews and voices from every inch of the country.”
Akshita Nandagopal
Deputy Editor, India Today TV
“‘Election Express’ is the pacy poll boogie bringing you a ring side view of the electrifying election campaigns, traversing through vibrant political terrains & picking up on people’s pulse along the way. Honest opinions, unbiased perspectives & a distinct edge of being the fastest election reportage. Interviews, campaign colours & all the drama packed in one engine, it’s unmissable.”
Nabila J
Anchor and Deputy Editor, India Today TV
“With ‘Mera Manifesto’ voters have the power to draft their own manifestos virtually, addressing issues close to their hearts. From ensuring justice and equality to promoting education and health care, this initiative empowers individuals to voice their aspirations for a better society. ‘E-Chunaav’ offers voters the opportunity to virtually cast their votes before heading to the polls. This initiative aims to encourage voters to actively participate in the democratic process. It encourages voting.”
Kamlesh Kishore Singh
News Director, ITGD
“As part of our comprehensive coverage of the ongoing state elections, our Regional Tak channels are providing extensive ground reporting. Under our ‘Desh Kiska’ umbrella branding, this coverage spans across 13 channels. At the national level, News Tak features interviews with key leaders such as Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi. Additionally, our weekly show ‘Manch’ hosts guests from across the political spectrum in our newsroom, while ‘Saptahik Sabha’ offers in-depth election analysis through psephology.”
Milind Khandekar
Managing Editor, Tak Channels
Hindi News Channels on Election Duty
Hindi news channels play a crucial role in shaping public opinion when it comes to polls in India. Their coverage of various political parties, poll promises, and citizen reports display a vivid picture of how the election tussle is looking on-ground. Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, each channel is working on a sharp strategy to inform and align public opinion. From special programming to exclusive interviews with various political leaders, they are helping viewers develop an understanding of the political landscape.
ABP News has extended its very popular ‘Kaun Banega…’ series for Lok Sabha polls. The ‘Kaun Banega Pradhanmantri’ show explores an open debate and discussion between political leaders and common persons. It gives the citizens of India an opportunity to directly question the politicians and decide whom to vote for. Another interesting show they have launched is ‘Narendra Bhai’. The late night watch will have various people associated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s life talk about his leadership, lifestyle, and other personal anecdotes. The channel has also done some exclusive interviews with leaders like Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, and Akhilesh Yadav during the polling season. The channel also interviewed Narendra Modi during his recent roadshow in Mumbai.
This young channel has set up a special ‘Election Room’ with a team of senior political editors keeping a keen eye on all political developments. Its flagship show ‘Satta ka Sangharsh’ focusses on delivering easy-to-understand graphics to declutter the noise around elections with facts. The channel’s on-ground show ‘Aa Gaya Election’ brings MLAs and common people together for an interactive discussion from famous locations of important constituencies. In addition, Bharat Express has launched several researched-backed shows on former Prime Ministers, interesting general election trivia, tracking the MP’s progress, political rivalries and mega constituencies in focus for Lok Sabha polls 2024.
Arnab Goswami’s Republic Bharat is trying to cover the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from all-possible angles, aiming to present a syndicated view of the political battle that is ensuing. Its bite-sized show ‘Ek Hint To Dete’ presents citizens’ voices on issues that they deem important. ‘Chunavi Chaupal’ presents curated reports about the voter sentiment along with relevant data around the poll behaviour and issues that matter. ‘Road Se Report’ also puts citizens’ voice at the center of the noise that this election is generating amidst the war of words ensuing between various party representatives. Arnab Goswami also had a detailed interaction with PM Modi ahead of the polls.
Adani-owned NDTV India is running an Election Carnival with a laser-eyed focus on various poll activities this general election. Their reporters are getting on-ground reports from various constituencies, bringing out the voice of the voters. Their ‘Chunaav Yatra’ takes various reporters on a journey through buses and trains where they talk to common people about the polls and their issues. The channel keeps tracking all polling stations and constituencies to present an in-depth analysis of what the voters are looking for in their next Prime Minister. The channel also recently did an interview with the prime minister, covering all latest local and global issues, his stance against the opposition, and poll strategy.
To extend a comprehensive coverage of the ongoing elections, India TV is running shows like ‘Kahaani Kursi Ki,’ an unbiased show featuring no politicians. ‘400 Ka Route’ explores key Southern constituencies, while ‘Coffee Par Kurukshetra’ uncovers untold political secrets. ‘Hot Seat’ provides in-depth analysis of major constituencies, and the flagship ‘Abki Baar Kiski Sarkar’ captivates the audience with diverse election perspectives. New programmes ‘The Family Man’ and ‘Bahubali’ spotlight candidates’ backgrounds and political journeys. The ‘Chunav Manch’ event features politicians from all sides talking about their electoral promises. The channel also ran a special election edition of ‘Aap ki Adalat’ offering fresh insights. Speaking about the lineup, Ritu Dhawan, Managing Director, India TV said, “At India TV, we are steadfast in our commitment to providing accurate and authentic news updates to our viewers. From the announcement of polling dates to the eventual counting day, our dedicated team of reporters, anchors, and editorial staff collaborates seamlessly to offer comprehensive election coverage through specialized programming and events.”
News18 India has a hawk’s eye view on the ongoing election process. Apart from their regular programming that shares minute-to-minute reports on everything that is happening in the political battleground, they have been running a few creative programmes to make this festival of voting in the largest democracy even more interesting. Their show ‘Modi Vatan Musalmaan’ has popular news anchor Rubika Liyaquat visiting various constituencies in poll-bound states and discussing with the Muslim population there what their expectations are from the government and who they are going to vote for in the upcoming elections. ‘Lapete Mein Netaji’ gives a poetic touch to TV channel debates and ‘Rajneeti’ has Rahul Joshi, Group Editor of News18 in discussion with prime leaders. He has already interviewed leaders like Rajnath Singh and Amit Shah. Rubika Liyaquat recently interviewed Prime Minister Modi, as well.
India News has planned its election programming to highlight the mindset of the large voter base residing in villages and small towns. The channel aims to bring forth the discussions that voters from these areas indulge in at street corners, squares, and tea stalls, documenting an honest representation of their wants and needs. To capture this entire picture of India, India News is enhancing its election coverage with shows like ‘Kya Chal Raha Hai,’ ‘Kissa Kursi Ka,’ ‘Aankde Hamare Faisla Aapka,’ and ‘Chai Par Charcha.’ The shows through direct interaction with voters and party representatives put spotlight on various important factors like cultural and historical heritage, local development, conditions of food and employment, the government’s performance, and the current electoral narrative.
The channel has planned more than 700 hours of programming over 3 months under its ‘Jan Gan Ka Mann’ mandate, covering exclusive political interviews, in-depth ground reportage, predictive surveys, live interactive shows, and more. With ‘Election Yatra’ leading anchors are taking their mobile studios to eight states hosting on-ground talk shows with eminent political personalities and rising candidates. A weekly ‘Public Manch’ is hosted in college campuses to highlight youth-centric issues. Other innovative shows include; ‘Desh Ka Mood Meter’ with live viewer polls; ‘Prime at 4’ offering expert analysis on poll issues; ‘Sawaal Public Ka’, a platform for fiery debates; ‘Big And Bold’, providing in-depth news analysis from ground; and ‘News Ki Pathshala’ that simplifies major stories in an engaging classroom format. The Prime Minister also sat down with Navika Kumar, Group Editor-In-Chief, Times Now and Times Now Navbharat, and Sushant Sinha, Consulting Editor, Times Now Navbharat, to talk about his tenure and poll promises in an interview setting.
TV9 Bharatvarsh is also running an open-air debate with active participation from the audience in ‘Adi’. The show also features studio debates with various party representatives making their case against the contenders. Another show ‘Satta Sammelan’ has leading faces from biggest political parties engaging in discussions and debates about their poll promises. The channel also recently ran a special interview with Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the title ‘The PM and 5 Editor’s Round Table’.
Another channel that is keeping voters at the heart of its coverage is News Nation with its show ‘24 Ka Akhada’. The show presents a well-curated bulletin backed by primary research that its reporters are doing on-ground. From data analysis related to pressing poll issues in the area to inputs from the voters, the show tries to catch the pulse of the nation this election season. Its prime time debate show also frequently features discussions on elections, poll-promises, and the performance of opposition parties.
The popular Hindi-news channel is also working on presenting a comprehensive constituency-wise coverage of poll issues that matter to the voters. Backed by on-ground reporting and discussions with common people, its show ‘Mahaul Kya Hai’ highlights the mood of the voters and what political parties are focussing on this election. ‘24 Ki Chausar’ gives the citizens as well as the leaders a say when it comes to the biggest battles between the contending parties. The channel’s debate show is ‘Sabse Bada Sawal’, that features representatives from various political parties and groups engaged in heated exchanges regarding the poll process.
Zee News has always been quite sharp with its election news coverage. The channel runs a slew of special programmes to enhance the viewer perception of various political leaders and parties. This year, too, the channel is hosting shows like ‘24 Ki Sarkaar’ in which Pradeep Bhandari (who resigned from the channel a few days ago) presents a comprehensive bulletin of news that has an impact on the elections. Another show ‘Rajniti’ gives an in-depth coverage of various constituencies, issues they are facing, and poll promises of various leaders. ‘Taal Thok Ke’ gives the chance to representatives from various party representatives to have an open debate on political issues.
Focusing on extensive voter-based coverage for the general elections, Bharat24 is running ‘Bharat Ke Mann Ki Baat’ where common people get the chance to share their needs and wants with political parties. With ‘Siyasat Ka Surma’ the channel shares the life stories of various political personalities, and ‘Seat to Seat’ presents an analysis of different parliamentary constituencies. Further ‘Pure Politics’ inspects major political events of the day, ‘24 Ka Chakravarti’ captures election-related activities in a creative manner, and ‘Election Express’ presents a daily bulletin of 50 election-related news in a fast-paced manner. ‘Sansad Ji Pass Ya Fail’ is a weekly day show where the actual report card of the Member of Parliament is shown vis a vis the promises, the execution, the public opinion. Another popular show ‘Modi, Mulk, Musalman’, which has been running since last year, has become the voice of the Muslim voter during the ongoing elections.
