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Time for news

Rajdeep Sardesai's take on journalism and CNN-IBN

Many years ago, news on television meant covering ribbon cutting functions and speeches. It was dull and hardly attracted viewers. Today, all that has changed, as private news channels have moved away from stuffy studio rooms to a new delivery system.

In the last two years, average news viewing share increased to roughly 55 minutes in a cycle of 24 hours. Last year, there was a proliferation of news channels and this year more are on the anvil. One such is CNN-IBN, the brainchild of journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. Excerpts from an interview:

What is the broad framework of CNN-IBN? Tell us about your role.

I am the editor-in-chief. My role is to handle the editorial of CNN-IBN. CNN is with us in a co-branding arrangement. But the editorial is entirely driven by IBN.

You have been quoted as saying, `It's a journalists' network'. Please explain.

I believe a journalist should be at the centre of a content-gathering exercise. That journalists should have individual areas of expertise and be given growth opportunities based on their expertise. A journalist must have a passion and a nose for news, that's what we are looking for.

Like other news channels, will you be concentrating more on North-based news and neglect the South, which consists of the bulk of English speaking viewers?

We've been on air for a few days, and if you see our mix, you will realise that we are where the news is, whether it is North or South. We have strong bureaus in the South, and that is being reflected in the way we cover news in the South.

SREEDHAR PILLAI

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