United Nations violates press freedom: Drew Johnson
In November, India will play host to the seventh session of Conference of the Parties (COP7) as also the first session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP1). American journalist Drew Johnson fears that the press may be subjected to similar restrictions at the event that the UN has put before him and other journalists in the past
“Take your job plan and shove it, Mr President. Your policies have harmed Chattanooga enough.” That was the headline of an opinion article written by American journalist Drew Johnson criticizing US President Barack Obama’s jobs plan in 2012. The only problem is that President Obama happened to be in the city that day. Eventually, Chattanooga Times Free Press, the conservative newspaper Johnson worked for, fired him.
The newspaper claimed that he violated editing principles while putting out that headline. But Johnson claimed otherwise. He stated that he had followed the standard editing procedure and the policy on the basis of which he was fired did not exist at the time he wrote the article.
Johnson, who’s been a columnist for The Washington Times, wasn’t at the receiving end for the first time. In February 2007, Johnson exposed former US Vice President Al Gore’s electricity consumption records. The investigation revealed that he used more electricity in a month than an average American household did in one full year. Numerically speaking, Gore’s bills were twenty times higher.
Unfortunately, for Gore, the expose was in the aftermath of his much acclaimed documentary called Inconvenient Truth. Johnson’s findings made Gore appear like a hypocrite who wasn’t personally cutting down on his electricity consumption but sermonising the entire world on adapting to a sustainable way of life to compliment the environment. At that time too, Johnson was faced with criticism.
Nevertheless, Johnson carried on with his journalism that eventually led him into a standoff with the United Nations. After irking the sitting US President and former Vice President, Johnson’s reportage and questioning led to the World Health Organisation (WHO) throwing him out of Conferences of the Parties held in Moscow in 2014. He has observed the United Nations frequently censor the press and harass journalists through various means.
In November, India will play host to the seventh session of Conference of the Parties (COP7) as also the first session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP1). It’s something that has Johnson worried. “Besides kicking journalists out of meetings that should be open to the press, there is an indirect kind of press exclusion that takes place at the COP meetings to ensure that only a very small number of reporters will even be able to attend,” he told exchange4media.
He further said, “The COP is being held at the exact same time as the U.S. presidential election in November, so most international political reporters will be too busy reporting on the most important election in the world than to cover a WHO tobacco control meeting.” However, he was hopeful that Indian journalists will work towards ensuring accountability at the WHO meet in Noida.
“The world will listen to Indian journalists if they report that WHO officials and government leaders from across the globe are treating the media in ways that would never be tolerated by Indian leaders,” he added.
During his trip to India earlier this month, Johnson spoke exclusively to exchange4media. Edited excerpts:
In an opinion piece for The Washington Times, you have termed the United Nations a “hypocrite” and a “fraud” when it comes to press freedom. What prompted you to level such serious allegations against the world body?
The United Nations host the annual World Press Freedom Day to promote freedom of the press among UN member countries and to encourage governments to operate in a transparent and accountable manner. At the same time, however, the UN and especially, its public health arm, the World Health Organization, are taking drastic steps to silence the press.
For example, the media has been banned from two separate WHO tobacco control Conferences of the Parties (COPs) that I attended as a journalist. During the most recent one, two years ago in Moscow, I and other journalists were physically removed from the COP event so we could not see how delegates voted on a proposed international tobacco tax and other issues.
These meetings are supposed to be open to the media, and they should’ve been. After all, these delegates are high-ranking government officials – health and finance ministers from 180 countries – who are using their citizens’ tax dollars to come together and discuss issues that impact the health and financial well-being of most of the people on Earth. The media should have had the opportunity to report their discussions, record their votes and allow the public to hold them accountable for their decisions.
Additionally, the WHO blacklisted a reporter who wrote critically about the organization’s response to the Ebola crisis. She was banned from press conferences and blocked from receiving email updates from the WHO.
The organization also frequently awards prominent meetings to countries that have almost no press freedom at all. Turkmenistan, for instance, hosted two WHO meetings in the past year, even though the country was ranked third-worst in the world for respecting press freedom by Reporters Without Borders. The nation is known for imprisoning and even murdering journalists who attempt to objectively report on the government.
Since the UN hosts World Press Freedom Day while behaving as a threat to press freedom, I felt very justified in using terms like “hypocrite” and “fraud.” In fact, I’m not sure those terms are strong enough. The UN is behaving in a truly despicable manner.
Isn’t it ironic that a global organisation like United Nations is being accused of subjugating the press? In an ideal scenario, the UN should be at the forefront of guarding press freedom.
It’s absolutely outrageous that the organization that is most responsible for protecting global press freedom has become an enemy to the very principles it should be defending.
As an American or an Indian, it’s easy to take a cavalier attitude about the UN’s horrible actions when it comes to press freedom. Fortunately, our countries have strong laws regarding freedom of the press, open meetings, open records and government transparency.
But for smaller, less-developed or more corruption-prone countries, the UN sets the standard for how journalists should be treated and recommends policies to enhance press freedom. But these countries may very well lose their interest in protecting freedom of the press once they realize that the UN, their guiding light regarding how to operate a free and objective media, is banning the press and preventing journalists from receiving information. The UN is setting a truly dangerous example that will harm journalists, and ultimately, citizens in countries throughout the world.
Why is the United Nations behaving in such a reckless manner?
In my experience, when a government goes to extreme lengths to prevent the media from attending meetings or accessing information that should be a matter of public record, it’s because someone has something to hide. It may very well be that the UN and the WHO have something to hide, as well.
Are any media organisations or journalists actively taking up this issue?
The Committee to Protect Journalists and UN Watch have both expressed concern about the WHO’s troubling treatment of the media. A few members of the international press who were present when the media was banned from the COP in Moscow intend to attend this year’s version of the meeting in Greater Noida this November to report on press exclusion issues.
Frankly, however, the number of international reporters who attend this meeting and who aren’t simply WHO cronies that intent on making the organization look good is very small.
As a result, journalists in the host country are the most influential voices when it comes to holding the WHO accountable for mistreating the media. The world will listen to Indian journalists if they report that WHO officials and government leaders from across the globe are treating the media in ways that would never be tolerated by Indian leaders.
A few journalists from Western Europe and North America can only do so much to hold the WHO accountable. Dozens of Indian reporters can force huge changes in how the UN and the WHO treats the media.
In November 2016, India will play host to the seventh session of Conference of the Parties (COP7) as also the first session of the Meeting of the Parties (MOP1). Do you expect the media to be subjected to similar restrictions that you have faced at UN events in the past?
Some insiders and delegates expect WHO officials to create opportunities for the media to interact with COP leaders that haven’t existed in the past. That may provide the appearance of more accountability and engagement with the media. But in reality, I expect the media will be kicked out of the COP proceedings and banned from covering discussion and votes. So the shameful media exclusion and the shocking assault on press freedom will almost certainly continue.
Besides kicking journalists out of meetings that should be open to the press, there is an indirect kind of press exclusion that takes place at the COP meetings to ensure that only a very small number of reporters will even be able to attend. The COP is being held at the exact same time as the U.S. presidential election in November, so most international political reporters will be too busy reporting on the most important election in the world than to cover a WHO tobacco control meeting. Additionally, the COPs are almost always held in locations that are extremely expensive and difficult for Western European and North American journalists to attend, meaning that many of the world’s most influential media outlets simply don’t report on the meetings.
While India is certainly easier to get to for most journalists than South Africa or Uruguay and simpler to get into than Moscow, it is still a place most media outlets won’t pay to send reporters. As a result, it is imperative that Indian journalists cover the meeting and report on the policy decisions that take place, as well as shine a light when press freedom is attacked.
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BW Businessworld releases latest issue on Amul’s inflection point
The issue also has an additional summer special spin-off
By exchange4media Staff | May 23, 2023 8:20 AM | 4 min read
In the recent issue of BW Businessworld releasing on June 3, 2023, takes a tour of India’s largest dairy processor and well-renowned household name, Amul. It explores the inflection point of Amul as it carries out its non-dairy food segment and is expected to generate a revenue up to Rs 1,00,000. To understand the vitality of the situation and the growth forward, BW Businessworld team travelled to the Milk Capital of India, Anand which is a home to the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF).
A Movement Of Exclusiveness
In an exclusive conversation with BW Businessworld, Jayen Mehta, the newly appointed managing director of Amul throws light on why the targeted revenue does not seem daunting for the brand. He further explains that since the dairy sector is swiftly becoming more organised, a shift towards the non-dairy food segment is likely to accelerate as consumers today are more health conscious, especially the younger generation. However, beyond the dairy sector, there is an inflection point for Amul as it now seeks to turn into an all-foods company. The various product launches in the past three years in the non-dairy segment and the expansion it reflected, Mehta seems optimistic about Indian consumers’ kitchen items to soon be of the brand, Amul, be it either organic or dairy products.
The latest issue also presents Amul’s past attempts to expand beyond dairy and value-added dairy products and how they collapsed to make a mark in the market. In this issue, BW Businessworld comes across understanding of what will be different this time and what shall we expect from Amul in the near future.
Largely, this issue also explores India’s substantial milk economy dynamic and the government’s thrust to boost milk production and whether it will bring a second White Revolution.
Summer Special Spin-off
The recent issue ‘The Summer Kings’, showcases a special feature on the summer season. We engaged with R.K. Singh, Union Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy, to take stock of India’s preparation to address the rising demand of power this season. For the same, Singh highlights that the growing power demand is the definite indicator of India’s economic growth.
Nonetheless, the issue also features a rapid growth of sunscreens in the Indian market in this scorching heat of the summer, and how new-age brands have been drawn towards the sun protection market as it has become one of the highest and fastest growing in the skincare segment in the country.
The issue also focuses upon the Indian meteorological department, predicting a hot and oppressive summer to which the team of BW Businessworld spoke to some of India’s biggest air conditioner manufacturers. B. Thiagarajan of Blue Star, Kanwal Jeet Jawa of Daikin, Manish Sharma of Panasonic Life Solutions India, among others, shares their plans to address consumer demand and their marketing playbook to reach out to them. A much weightage is given into smart solutions using AI and IoT based platform to offer comfort and convenience to its customers.
In addition, this issue captures focus on sustainable architecture as sustainability has become central to everyone today. Special attention has been given to sustainable architecture to understand the practicalities of developing sustainable buildings in India.
Moreover, the latest issue also gives a special focus on building resilience in the era of uncertainty by Tiger Tyagarajan, President & CEO of Genpact, in its ‘Last Word’ column, aiming at what business leaders today need to concentrate on to navigate the current economic challenges.
Click here to view the entire story of BW Businessworld on ‘India’s Best Kept FMCG Secret’ with Amul along with an additional summer special spin-off.
About BW Businessworld
BW Businessworld, with its 43 years of legacy, is the fastest growing 360 degree business media house in India. With a network spanning across 23 niche business communities and 10 magazines, BW Businessworld is proud to be entrenched in various verticals in the domestic as well as global business, that organize conferences and forums to facilitate interaction between sectoral business leaders and create a conducive environment for collaboration. All BW issues are also fully digitally covered, including online stories and video stories and eMagazine is also available for every issue.
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Do not go by speculation in media about company’s reorganization: Times Group to employees
The group has released a statement internally to its key management saying speculations about the split in the business are incorrect
By exchange4media Staff | May 21, 2023 5:29 PM | 1 min read
A day after the media reported details of Samir Jain and Vineet Jain splitting the Times Group business, the group released a statement internally to its key management calling the speculations incorrect.
The communication from BCCL’s Company Secretary Kausik Nath read: “As the KMP of the company, it is my duty to inform that employees should not go by speculation in the media about the reorganization of the company. Please be notified that social media has been speculative and incorrect.”
As per media reports, Samir Jain is likely to get hold of the entire Print businesses of the conglomerate and Vineet Jain is expected to occupy Broadcast, Radio Mirchi, Entertainment (ENIL), and other businesses.
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Vineet Jain: The media scion who drove Times Group's expansion
A look into the junior Jain brother's 36-year-long journey within the Times Group
By exchange4media Staff | May 21, 2023 2:02 PM | 2 min read
Vineet Jain, the younger of the Jain brothers who inherited the Times Group after the death of their mother Indu Jain, will now be handling the TV, digital and entertainment business of the media conglomerate.
Born in Kolkata in 1964 to Ashok and Indu Jain, the 59-year-old Vineet joined the Times Group in 1987, more than a decade after his elder brother Samir Jain entered the business.
A graduate of the American College of Switzerland, Vineet was soon the Managing Director of Bennett, Coleman & CO, which was at that time being run by his father Ashok Jain and brother Samir, who was the Vice Chairman of the company.
Vineet has been the driving force behind the diversification and expansion of what began as a traditional publishing business under the flagship Times of India. Under his vision and leadership, the Times Group expanded its wings across the media spectrum – be it internet, radio, music, news television, OTT, or out-of-home.
He was named Impact Person of the Year in 2013.
With this development, after 36 years of his stint as the MD of Times Group, Vineet will occupy Broadcast, Radio Mirchi, Entertainment (ENIL), and other businesses such as Filmfare, Femina, their event IPs along with their respective online editions (clubbed under Times Internet Ltd).
Vineet will also retain ET Money and the OTT platform MX Player, broadcast, digital and entertainment part of the business.
His elder brother Samir holds the entire Print business of the conglomerate like Times of India, Economic Times, and language papers like Navbharat Times and Vijay Karnataka along with their online editions.
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Samir Jain: A pioneer in media business
A concise profile of the elder Jain brother who is expected to head the print business of the Times Group
By exchange4media Staff | May 21, 2023 1:42 PM | 2 min read
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Three key men who were present at the historic Times Group MoU signing
Two BCCL officials and a top biz leader played a critical role in the settlement and were present when the MoU was signed
By exchange4media Staff | May 20, 2023 9:40 PM | 3 min read
When warring brothers Samir and Vineet Jain finalized the historic partition of one of India’s largest media conglomerates - Times Group-in Delhi by signing an MoU on Thursday, only three men were present on the occasion.
They were - Puneet Dalmia of Dalmia Bharat, Subramanian Narayanan and Sivakumar Sundaram, both top executives of BCCL - who are believed to have helped Samir and Vineet Jain to part ways amicably.
The trio can be seen along with Jain brothers in the picture taken during the signing of MoU.
These leaders, along with a couple of more top biz leaders of India, are credited with shaping up a complex deal and carving out the partition in two equal halves smoothly, something that was acceptable to Samir and Vineet Jain both.
Puneet Dalmia (50), Managing Director at Dalmia Bharat Limited, helped them in coordination and detailing of the negotiations. A gold-medallist MBA from the Indian IIM-B, and a B. Tech. degree from IIT-Delhi, Puneet is considered as one of the finest business leaders in India with an expertise in investment, merger and acquisition. He is admired by both the brothers.
Subramanian Narayanan, Executive Director & Group CFO. at Entertainment Network India Limited (ENIL), who also spearheads merger and acquisition for the group, has been a trusted aide of Vineet Jain for many years. According to Times group insiders, Narayanan has got excellent negotiation skills and has played a crucial role in getting the best deal for Vineet Jain.
Sivakumar Sundaram, Chairman Executive Committee, BCCL, remained part of the negotiations throughout. Sundaram, believed to be from Samir Jain’s side, was present at the time of signing the MoU as well. Sundaram played a key role in shaping up the partition and getting the lion’s share for Samir-entire print portfolio along with online editions, insiders say. Newspapers have been the flagship business of the group, especially Times of India that started 180-years ago, much before the partition of India.
The deal
As per the deal, Samir Jain is going to get a hold of entire Print businesses of the conglomerate along with their online editions.
Vineet Jain will occupy Broadcast, Radio Mirchi, OTT platform MX Player, Entertainment (ENIL), and other businesses such as Filmfare and Femina, people privy to the matter told e4m. Besides, Vineet will receive a cash payout of at least Rs 3,500 Cr from his elder brother to balance out the partition.
“The real estate belonging to the company, which includes various properties and printing press across India, have also been valued and will be divided equally between the two brothers”, people privy to the matter said.
Repeated emails sent to Samir and Vineet Jain and the group’s corporate communications personnel remained unanswered till the time of writing this story.
Photo Caption: L to R Vineet Jain (Blue shirt), Samir Jain (White shirt) on chairs signing the MoU.
Behind: N. Subramaniam (Subbu, yellow shirt), Puneet Dalmia (violet shirt) and Sivakumar Sundaram (pink shirt)
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Times Group: Inside details of the MoU finalized between Samir & Vineet Jain
Sources say that Samir Jain is expected to get the entire Print business along with online titles of all newspapers; Vineet Jain likely to get TV+Radio+Rs 3,500 Cr
By exchange4media Staff | May 20, 2023 6:24 PM | 5 min read
The much-awaited MoU of the Times Group is believed to have been finalized on Thursday. Once the deal is finalised Samir Jain is likely to get hold of the entire Print businesses of the conglomerate, including the Times of India, Economic Times and language papers like Navbharat Times and Vijay Karnataka along with their online editions.
Younger brother Vineet Jain is expected to occupy Broadcast, Radio Mirchi, Entertainment (ENIL), and other businesses such as Filmfare, Femina, the event IPs along with their respective online editions (clubbed under Times Internet Ltd.), highly placed sources have told e4m. Vineet will also retain ET Money and the OTT platform MX Player.
At present, all online editions along with MX Player are part of the Times Internet Limited, which was a major bone of contention between the Jain brothers.
Sources add that since the Print businesses of the group are far bigger in terms of revenue, Vineet is likely to receive a cash payout of at least Rs 3,500 crore from his elder brother to balance out the partition. This amount may go up to Rs 5,000 crore depending on various factors.
“The bifurcation of the Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL) conglomerate was fine tuned on Thursday at the Lutyens bungalow of the Jain brothers in Delhi. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard was signed by the duo, followed by a family puja and brothers roping a plant together to signal a fresh beginning,” sources said.
The MoU needs to be converted into a legal document and top law firm Khaitan & Co is believed to be taking care of the legal technicalities.
“The real estate belonging to the company, which includes various properties and printing press across India, have also been valued and are expected to be divided equally between the two brothers,” people privy to the matter said.
Repeated emails sent to Samir and Vineet Jain and the group’s corporate communications personnel remained unanswered till the time of writing this story.
Times Group officials said on the condition of anonymity that Samir was already handling the print business and Vineet was running TV, Radio and Times Internet.
University & Investment Arm to be valued later
While most of the entities at Bennett University will be put in an independent trust, it would be run by professional trustees and is believed to be valued later.
Brand Capital, the strategic investment arm of the Times Group, has not been valued yet. It will too likely be valued and bifurcated later.
Investors to be roped in
Samir is believed to have started looking for funds to finance the partition, so that he can pay his younger brother his dues worth Rs 3,500 crore. Both brothers may also rope in more investors for their respective entities, sources said.
Merger of 5 entities
The BCCL is also merging five of its subsidiaries - Mind Games Shows Pvt (MGSPL), Ananta Properties Pvt (APPL), Amrita Estates Pvt (AEPL), Times Digital (TDL), Times Journal (TJIL) and Vinabella Media and Entertainment Pvt (VMEPL) - with itself as part of its plan to clean up the company's structure, in accordance with a National Company Law Tribunal order. The NCLT cleared the merger on May 4, effective April 2021.
Tedious process of partition
India’s oldest and one of the most influential media companies Times Group (Bennett Coleman and Company Ltd or BCCL) has been facing uncertainty for a long time due to growing differences between the brothers on how to run the businesses. The talks of spilt were going on for about two years.
Samir is elder to Vineet by 10 years and serves as the vice chairman of BCCL, while Vineet is the managing director. Jain brothers are reportedly distinct from each other when it comes to business acumen, lifestyle and vision for the company.
People privy to the matter claim that assets of the company underwent an elaborate evaluation process to divide over 70 entities, including the most complex one, Times Internet Ltd (TIL).
Two mediators were appointed to oversee this auction. This included Sunil Bharti Mittal, the billionaire chairman of telecoms operator Bharti Airtel, and a member of the Dalmia family, which owned BCCL in the 1950s before handing the company over to the Jains.
Selling of businesses
TIL has been working hard over the past two years to consolidate its business and offload the loss-making entities.
The company sold the restaurant reservations app Dineout as well as short video platform MX TakaTak in early 2022. It recently sold two of its content websites—MensXP and iDiva—and its creator management vertical Hypp to Mensa Brands.
It is in the process of selling OTT platform MX Player also which has reportedly been punching a hole in their coffers. The company is now in the talks with Amazon to sell it off at a price which is reportedly less than its acquisition cost.
Times Internet acquired MX Player in 2018 for an estimated sum of $140 million or Rs 1,000 Cr. “Amazon has offered roughly $60 million, almost half of its purchasing cost,” sources claimed. This is despite the fact that MX Player has been regarded as the most downloaded app in India and third most downloaded in the world in 2022, according to the State of Mobile 2023 report by Data.ai.
The company’s arm Gradeup has already been merged with Byju’s through NCLT approval, its financial report stated.
According to media reports, Times Internet has also undergone a shareholding change and stakes held by different Times Group entities and family members were all transferred to BCCL in 2021-22.
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DB Corp posts 25.4% yoy growth in ad revenue for FY2023
Net Profit grew 19% to Rs. 169.1 crore
By exchange4media Staff | May 19, 2023 1:34 PM | 3 min read
Print advertising posted a strong year-on-year growth of 27% for FY2023 and 16% for Q4 FY2023, said DB Corp Limited, which posted its financial results for the quarter and the year ended March 31, 2023.
The company’s rise in revenue was helped by strong demand for its print publication and higher growth in advertising income.
The print media company’s consolidated EBIDTA posted strong growth of 34% y-o-y in the fourth quarter.
Compared to FY2022, advertising revenue for the group grew by 25.4% to Rs 1482.7 crore as against Rs 1182.7 crore in FY2023. Total Revenue grew by around 21.2% to Rs. 2168.2 crore as against Rs. 1788.5 crore. Circulation Revenue grew by around 1.5% to Rs. 462.7 crore as against Rs. 455.8 crore.
EBIDTA grew by 12% to Rs. 361.1 crore as against Rs. 322.8 crore, after considering a forex loss of Rs 5.2 crore, aided by stringent cost control measures, & despite high newsprint prices and large digital business investment for future growth. Net Profit grew 19% to Rs. 169.1 crore as against Rs. 142.6 crore, after considering forex loss of Rs 60 crore.
In the radio business, advertising Revenue grew 20% to Rs. 134.2 crore versus Rs. 112.2 crore. EBITDA grew by 28% to Rs. 40.2 crore (EBITDA margin at 30%) versus Rs. 31.4 crore.
As compared to Q4 of FY2022, the corresponding quarter of this financial year say ad revenue grow by 14.2 % to Rs. 357.8 crore as against Rs. 3,13.4 crore. Total Revenue grew by 13.5% at Rs. 5,44.6 crore as against Rs. 4,79.9 crore. Circulation Revenue stands at Rs. 1,15.3 crore as against Rs. 1,15.2 crore. EBIDTA grew by 34% to Rs. 88.9 crore as against Rs. 66.3 crore aided by stringent cost control measures, & despite high newsprint prices and large digital business investment for future growth. Net Profit grew by 67% at Rs. 41 crore as against Rs. 24.5 crore. Radio business: Ø Advertising Revenue grew by 6% YOY at Rs. 32.2 crore versus Rs.30,3 crore. EBIDTA stands at Rs.8.4 crore versus Rs. 8.2 crore.
Sudhir Agarwal, Managing Director, DB Corp Ltd said, “While other major economies around the world faced a tough year, the Indian Economy, especially the nonMetro centres, showed great resilience in fiscal 2023. GST Collections in Tier-II and beyond cites have increased by ~15-25% underscoring the strong potential of these markets. Advertisers continue to repose their trust in Print Media, especially in these markets, with new age advertisers also seeing tremendous value in using hyperlocal ad campaigns. Dainik Bhaskar’s editorial strategies and dominant position in these markets has resulted in strong growth of advertising revenues across the board. Our circulation strategy has enabled us to extend our lead as India’s number one Newspaper and Newspaper Group. Our readers are the central focus of all our teams, and we continue to innovate our content, improve our omnichannel platform for delivering truthful, crisp and pertinent content to our loyal reader base. With our strong financial position, we are well-placed to continue the growth trajectory and deliver robust returns to all our stakeholders.”
DB Corp Ltd publishes 5 newspapers with Dainik Bhaskar 43 editions, Divya Bhaskar 8 editions & Divya Marathi 6 editions with 211 sub-editions in 3 multiple languages (Hindi, Gujarati and Marathi) across 12 states in India.
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