Top 5 Journalists in India

chillibreeze writer — Tejasvita Rao

In the past decade, broadcast journalism has come of age. We have channels that are dedicated solely to news. The viewer today does not have to wait for ‘that half hour of news’ sandwiched between the soaps of an entertainment channel. Instead, he could just switch to an NDTV 24X7 or a Star News for some fresh, up-to-date news about the happenings around the world. This transformation did not happen overnight. It started with the collaboration of Rupert Murdoch’s Star Television Network with Dr. Prannoy Roy’s New Delhi Television Limited (popularly known as NDTV). Theirs was the first-ever independent satellite news channel to hit the small screen, popularly known as Star News. Hence was started the Television News Industry in India. And like any other industry, there’s competition in this one too. The number of news channels is growing by the day and so is the audience. In the race to be at the top, channels are resorting to all sorts of tactics ranging from ‘any news is breaking news’ to sensationalism to the recent sleazy, but nevertheless popular ‘sting operation’. However, in this ever changing and unpredictable scenario, there are some superstars who have kept the essence of the term ‘news’ intact, by keeping the viewer informed in the true sense of the term. Here’s presenting the top 5 television journalists of India:

Barkha Dutt

Speak of NDTV and you cannot forget to mention this name. Having done her Bachelors in English Literature from St. Stephens in New Delhi and Masters in Mass Communication from Jamia Milia Islamiya University, Barkha Dutt went on to obtain a Masters degree in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Her excellence in journalism was proven for the umpteenth time when in 1997, she won the Inlaks Scholarship to do graduate work abroad.

Professionally, Barkha boasts of a career full of milestones.From on-site news coverage to in-studio shows, this lady has been there and done it all. Her excellent coverage of the Kargil War in 1999 won her appreciation and love from the entire nation. Her most recent milestone was the coverage of the Tsunami Disaster in South India.

Her in-studio work includes the daily NewsHour and the weekly ‘We the People’. Her simplistic approach and sensitive yet sensible interaction with the masses have made her the most viewer-friendly journalist today.

Rajdeep Sardesai

“Journalists are odd people. They become journalists for the oddest reasons!” was his remark at a recent media convention hosted by CNBC TV18. Rajdeep graduated from St. Xaviers College in Mumbai and later studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar. Prior to television, he worked with the Times Group at various levels. He has been awarded time and again for excellence in media journalism.

When Rajdeep Sardesai was a part of the NDTV group, he was described as one of Dr. Prannoy Roy’s Angels. And rightly so. His skillfully handled debates in the award winning show, ‘The Big Fight’, and his on-site news reporting speak volumes about his brilliance. When he quit NDTV recently, the news industry was in a state of shock.

He has now decided to go solo and plans to start his own news channel, ‘Broadcast News’, which will be funded by Raghav Bahl of CNBC TV18.

Vikram Chandra

Yet another rather good-looking NDTV product, Vikram Chandra has over a decade’s experience in television journalism. He did his Bachelor’s in Economics from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi and went on to study at Oxford on an Inlaks Scholarship. He honed his media skills at Stanford University where he did a course in Mass Media.

Vikram Chandra’s simple and lucid style of delivering news immediately struck a chord with the Indian audiences. Today, he heads the editorial team at NDTV and is also the CEO of NDTV.com. He has currently taken over as the host of ‘The Big Fight’ to fill in for former colleague Rajdeep Sardesai. One also spots him often on NDTV Profit’s ‘Gadget Guru’. His exemplary work has won him laurels not just in India but all over the world. This was significantly proven, when, at the World Economic Forum at Davos, he was named ‘Global Leader for Tomorrow’.

From covering war zones to uncovering the latest gizmos, this man has done it all!

Shireen Bhan

“If anyone can please tell me more about Miss Shireen Bhan...i mean i totally and absolutely think that i watch CNBC because of her...” – a blogger on IndianTelevision.com

Well, that’s the kind of effect Shereen Bhan has on the audiences! This young lady graduated from St.Stephen’s College (that’s right, it’s Stephen’s again!) and went on to obtain a Master’s in Film and Television from Pune. Prior to CNBC TV18, Shireen was an associate producer with UTV. She joined CNBC TV18 five years ago and practically redefined the term ‘anchoring’. She is frequently seen on shows such as India Business Hour, Power Turks, Young Turks and The Good Life Show. She was recently named ‘FICCI Woman of the Year 2005’. Her effortless deliverance of news and features alike as well as her cheerful disposition has made her a favorite in thousands of Indian homes.

Udayan Mukherjee

For traders in the stock market, Udayan Mukherjee is a Godsend. This Bengali anchor is a trained economist. After graduating in Economics from Presidency College, Kolkata, he went on to obtain a Master’s in Economics from JNU in Delhi. He began his career with a 4-year stint at UTV and later joined CNBC Asia as a markets correspondent. Today, he not only hosts shows such as ‘Taking Stock’ and ‘Markets Today’, but also heads the CNBC Research team. His live market updates have helped countless investors in making profitable investment decisions. Well, CNBC’s punchline ‘Profit from it’ definitely holds good for Udayan Mukherjee!

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Tejasvita writes for Chillibreeze.

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