And the award for the best news channel in India goes to
*drum roll*
DD News!
20 years ago, the advent of private news channels in India mesmerized us
Overnight, urban India forgot DD News
There were two differentiating factors these new channels offered
First, the way they presented news, the production value, and of-course some rising bright reporters
Two, how they sensationalized and packaged the news
The latter was more crucial for success
News on its own is raw bland information, it lacks appeal to attract masses unless it is about cricket or politics
Instead, cover news that entertains and then opinionate to create the magic that sells
By 2008 news in India directly competed with primetime soap operas
Recall the Arushi case or Prince, the boy who was trapped in a tube well
Every news became a breaking news
These channels never covered news of significance (big projects, social issues, North East)
Well, deploying resources was an expense
Why deploy 50 reporters across India?
Instead, why not deploy 50 resources in Mumbai
Focus and build a sensational product that everyone wants to consume
It makes business sense
DD News wins, not because of its reporting standards but because it is the only “News” channel we have in India
One minute notes 