ITV

Tag: general elections

  • 90 per cent of (9 out of 10) Delhi youth witness spike in fake news during elections

    90 per cent of (9 out of 10) Delhi youth witness spike in fake news during elections

    Mumbai: Amidst the spread of misinformation in a digital age, The 23 Watts, a new age communication consulting firm, has released a report that explores the relationship between Delhi Youth, notably Generation Z (Gen Z), and ‘Fake news.’ The report titled ‘Truth Be Told’, examines how the digitally native Gen-Z perceive, consume and navigate the complexities of misinformation.  With over 1,200 respondents aged below 25 years, across Delhi-NCR, ‘Truth Be Told’ covers three broad areas: the influence of misinformation, the experience of coming across fake news, and the opinion of the youth about who is responsible for the Fake News epidemic.  

    The 23 Watts onboarded an external expert, Vijay Ganesan, former director-Analytics & Data Strategy, Europe at Kantar  to verify the methodology applied in the report, Kantar

    ‘Truth be Told’ also sheds light on the Delhi Youth’s social media behaviours, mindsets, and information-sharing patterns, revealing these factors’ impact on their decision-making processes. Released ahead of the General Elections in New Delhi, this report seeks to foster an informed and resilient Gen Z electorate as they play a crucial role in shaping the outcome.

    Some of the key highlights from the report include:

    ●    During national events like elections, 90 per cent of the consensus experiences an increase in fake news.

    ●    91 per cent believe fake news can influence voting decisions.

    ●    80 per cent of the population alters their perceptions and opinions based on fake news influence.

    ●    59 per cent of the consensus fall trap to sensationalism, leading them to share fake news

    ●    Although 95 per cent claim to authenticate news, 45 per cent have shared unauthenticated news later found to be fake.

    ●    Only 29 per cent of individuals authenticate information through fact-checking websites.

    ●    62 per cent of the Delhi Genz consensus believe that fake news not only misleads perceptions but also plays as a tool to mend and damage reputations

    ●    89 per cent believe the government needs to do more to prevent fake news, with 69 per cent suggesting stricter policies are necessary.

    ●    Approximately 66 per cent of the GenZ population relies on internet portals (YouTube, social media, messengers, online articles) for news consumption.

    Putting forth the vision behind the report, Tarundeep Singh, chief growth officer, The 23 Watts,  says, “Born into technology and raised with information at their fingertips, Generation Z is redefining political movements, religion, pop culture, national events, and more. With fake news being at the forefront of all major happenings in the nation, through The 23 Watts Insights Studio, we wanted to understand this shifting focus. The core of our effort is to map and mine the minds of the loud and proud Gen Z to understand the lasting shift in news consumption and the spread of misinformation.”

    The primary research also highlighted that 14 per cent of Delhi Youth tend to share sensational news, without fact-checking, and only based on conjectures. All findings from the report tie back to how the high on hashtags Gen Z is on the loose, and easily swayed by their feed.

    While sharing views on the report, Kantar former director-analytics & data strategy, Europe Vijay Ganesan said, “This research explores these themes in detail with an ideal balance with the Quantitative approach needed for a piece of reliable empirical evidence and equally complemented by in-depth insights unlocked through qualitative research to understand motivations and behaviours. It’s an evolving area of research and this is an attempt to demystify the larger community. I am sure it will unlock more and more such unknowns in its immediate future iterations.”

    In an unprecedented year for elections, out of all the risks, Fake News is one of the major threats that the youth of Delhi face today. The call for Government action is loud, with 48 per cent, demanding tighter policies, 16 per cent appealing for education campaigns to navigate these rough seas and 15 per cent advocating for national fact-checking as a solution. With a shared belief in the importance of digital literacy, the Delhi youth are calling for awareness campaigns and initiatives, arming themselves with knowledge to fight the tides of deception.

  • India TV’s election 2024 coverage gets a flavorful twist with new shows

    India TV’s election 2024 coverage gets a flavorful twist with new shows

    Mumbai: India TV, a prominent news broadcaster known for its innovative approach to news coverage, has come up with extraordinary ideas for groundbreaking lineup of new shows dedicated to providing in-depth coverage and analysis of the much-anticipated 2024 general elections in India. As the only newsgroup with CTV-first news channels in the country, India TV continues to set new standards in journalism by offering viewers a diverse range of programs aimed at informing, engaging, and empowering the public in the realm of elections.

    India TV’s new programming lineup includes “Abki Baar Kiski Sarkaar,” “Jaati Ganit,” and “Chunav 360,” each providing unique perspectives on the upcoming 2024 general elections. “Abki Baar Kiski Sarkaar” takes a forward-looking approach, airing twice daily, Monday to Friday at 10 am and 7 pm, to predict potential election outcomes through expert insights and data-driven analysis, offering viewers a glimpse into India’s future political landscape. Meanwhile, “Jaati Ganit” airs daily at 10.20 pm, delving into the influence of caste dynamics on voter behavior and political outcomes, shedding light on an often-overlooked aspect of the electoral process. “Chunav 360,” airing daily at 7.20 pm, provides viewers with a comprehensive view of the elections, covering campaign strategies, voter sentiments, and various dimensions of the electoral landscape, ensuring a holistic understanding of the electoral process.

    Aap ki Adalat, one of the most renowned shows in India, will also provide viewers with exceptional insights into various viewpoint on elections directly from the leaders themselves, hosted by the esteemed Anchor Rajat Sharma. The special edition of Aap ki Adalat focusing on elections will offer the latest updates on each leader’s perspective, revealing secrets never disclosed before. The appearance of Madhavi Lata and Revant Reddy as guests on Aap ki Adalat was a success. Prime Minister Modi even took to Twitter to praise Madhavi Lata’s episode, hailing it as one of the finest shows.

    India TV’s new programming lineup also includes “कॉफ़ी पर कुरुक्षेत्र” and “400 Ka Root,” two shows designed to offer viewers unique insights into the upcoming 2024 general elections. “कॉफ़ी पर कुरुक्षेत्र” is set to air daily at 6 pm provides a casual yet insightful setting for discussing election-related matters over coffee. On the other hand, “400 Ka Root” is dedicated to decoding the intricate mathematics behind elections, analyzing constituencies, voting trends, and key battlegrounds covering impact of south India politics on national elections.

    “Muqabla” engages directly with the audience, capturing their diverse viewpoints and sentiments on the elections. “Bike reporter” presents a unique approach to news coverage, with a TV anchor traversing India on a bike to deliver amplifies voices and perspectives of the people, reflecting their opinions, views, and support concerning the 2024 elections. Together, these shows epitomize India TV’s commitment to delivering comprehensive and diverse coverage of one of the nation’s pivotal democratic events.

    “Modi Aur Musalman” delves into the pulse of Muslim-majority areas during the 2024 elections, offering insightful feedback and perspectives. Through “Pradhanmantri Kaun Banega,” a packaged show, viewers are presented with comprehensive coverage of the election landscape. “Maidan e-Jung” brings ground reporting to the forefront, offering a raw and unfiltered view of the political battleground. Finally, “Hot Seat” ignites discussions on various electoral seats across India, dissecting their significance and potential impact on the broader political spectrum.

    With the launch of these new shows, India TV aims to provide viewers with an in-depth understanding of the 2024 general elections, revamping viewing experience for the audience, ensuring they stay informed and engaged throughout the electoral journey. By combining timely updates, expert analysis, and engaging discussions, India TV continues to uphold its reputation as a trusted source of news and information for millions of viewers across the nation. As the countdown to the elections begins, viewers can look forward to insights and compelling debates on India TV, reaffirming its commitment to delivering excellence in journalism.

  • News18 India present weekend specials on Lok Sabha Elections from Ground Zero

    News18 India present weekend specials on Lok Sabha Elections from Ground Zero

    MUMBAI: Reinforcing the commitment of bringing the most comprehensive reportage of the General Elections, News18 India has further lined-up extensive and diverse weekend programming for its viewers. Comprising of channel’s renowned shows, the programming aims to bring not only up-to-the-minute updates but also cover substantive issues related to the elections.

    Extending the umbrella branding ‘Sabse Bada Dangal’, News18 India present special on-ground episodes of its popular shows- Lapete Mein Netaji, Desh ko Jawab Do and Ye Desh Hai Hamara. Featuring renowned Hindi poets, Lapete Mein Netaji is based on a ‘hasya kavi sammelan’ format featuring top politicians, bringing humor and sarcasm to the serious political discourse. Recently, the show travelled to Varanasi where it witnessed presence of popular Hindi poets and satirists like Damdar Banarasi, Chirag Jain, Pratap Singh Faujdar and Gaurav Chauhan along with political leaders – Kaushlesh Singh of BJP; Lalitesh Pati Tripathi of Congress and Manoj Rai Dhoopchandi of SP.

    Bringing top newsmakers across leading political parties on a single platform, channel’s intense debates place audience and their issues at the heart of their reportage. Taking the discussions on-ground to enhance engagement, News18 India recently telecast a special episode of Desh Ko Jawab Do from Lucknow. The debate featured top local politicians such as Rakesh Tripathi of BJP; Surendra Rajput of Congress and Anurag Bhadoria of SP, wherein they discussed the key concerns and mood of the voters in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

    Along with fierce debates, the channel is also showcasing in-depth profiling of top newsmakers of every week like PM Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi to name a few, through special election episodes of the show ‘Poster’. With wide-ranging and incisive programming throughout the week, News18 India aims to provide an unparalleled access to its viewers during the world’s largest democratic exercise.

  • Thomas Cook lndia launches ‘Ghar Jao Vote Karo’ campaign

    Thomas Cook lndia launches ‘Ghar Jao Vote Karo’ campaign

    MUMBAI: Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, an integrated travel and related financial services company, spearheads the citizen election agenda 2019 by launching its ‘Ghar Jao Vote Karo’ campaign ahead of the upcoming general elections. The brand seeks to empower citizens to vote while simultaneously rewarding them- both on their flight to their hometown pre-election, as well as holiday discounts post elections.

    According to the Election Commission, merely 540 million Indian voters or 66.4 per cent of those eligible cast their vote in the 2014 general elections. A key challenge attributed to the low turnout was the migrating Indian population, moving from tier II and III cities into larger urban towns and metros. Thomas Cook India has therefore strategically aligned its campaign to tap into India’s vote bank, by aiming to create awareness on the importance of voting while gratifying the voter with incentives.

    Thomas Cook India’s ‘Ghar Jao Vote Karo’ campaign will extend from 26 March to 19 May 2019, to encourage Indians to exercise their right to vote by flying back to their respective hometowns- where they have been registered as voters. As part of the campaign, the pre-election offer includes a discount of Rs 1,000 off on return air tickets (per adult) on providing proof via any official document such as their Voter ID/ Aadhaar Card, etc. The last date of flight departure is 19 May 2019 to coincide with the last date of polling.

    Voting in many states coincides with India’s largest vacation season. Hence, in its initiative to recognise the efforts taken by its customers who vote, Thomas Cook India will offer a special post-voting holiday discount – across both its domestic and international group tours (Rs 3000 off on its domestic group tours or Rs 5000 off on its international group tours, per family). All its customers need to do to avail the offer is to display their inked finger at any of Thomas Cook’s extensive retail outlets pan India. The post-voting holiday offer is valid up to 19 July 2019.

    With several election dates falling on Mondays or Thursdays, Thomas Cook’s data reveals that travel hungry Indians are likely to extend their weekends into ‘smart weekend holidays’ thus giving a fillip to the emerging trend of ‘Election Tourism’.

    Thomas Cook president and group head – marketing, service quality, value-added services, and innovation Abraham Alapatt said, “At Thomas Cook India, we are keen to do our part by motivating consumers to cast their vote in their hometowns and this formed the genesis of our Ghar Jao Vote Karo campaign.”

    He added, “Social media is expected to play a strong role in the upcoming elections. Be it voting selfies showcasing an inked finger or the use of hashtags, consumers are taking their involvement beyond the booth. However, there is a strong urgency in getting the voting population involved in the pre-voting phase as well and hence our campaign motivates customers- both during the pre and post voting phases. Via our Ghar Jao Vote Karo campaign, we look forward to engineering a new wave of proactive social consciousness across metros as well as Tier II and III regions of the country.”

  • Digital agency execs approve stricter social media control for upcoming general election

    Digital agency execs approve stricter social media control for upcoming general election

    MUMBAI: Digital media has taken the world by storm. The last elections of the two biggest democracies of the world – India and the US – showed the power of efficient digital campaigns in political battles. However, as easy as it is to use social media platforms for campaigning, it is equally capable of being misused.

    With the general elections of India just a month away, the doubt about the power of programmatic advertising on election results is obviously bothering everyone. The involvement of Facebook in the manipulation of election results in the US only thickens the clouds of uncertainty.

    Indiantelevision.com asked a few people in the industry what these measures would mean to the political parties and the election process. Ethinos Digital Marketing MD Siddharth Hegde said, "This is a much-needed move. Most countries across the world already have such policies in place and this will be a first for India for its forthcoming elections. We are likely to see more transparent conversations and campaigns and a decrease in the number of companies/ pseudo-individuals who were earlier running fake campaigns. Fake news has been a huge challenge for social media and such policies will serve as a huge deterrent.”

    To assuage growing criticism from users and investors, global digital media giants, Facebook, Twitter, and Google recently announced new policies to make political advertising more transparent and reliable. Measures like not allowing anonymous ads to run on user feed, making the acquisition of a pre-certificate issued by the Election Commission of India or a source it authorises and getting valid authorisations are a bid to solve a few of these problems.

    TRA Research CEO N Chandramouli called for stronger governmental control on false information. He said, “The ability to manipulate voters with messages that create fear, uncertainty and doubt (known as FUD in communication) has grown manifold after the proliferation of social media. Such messages polarise voters with strong, often inflammatory messages that seem to audiences to be from authentic sources. The need for all social media regulation at a governmental level on areas of misinformation and false information is necessary. This is especially needed when elections and other important events are due in a country, but also needed in all other times when incorrectly motivated citizens can be aroused by false news to cause harm to their own country and society.”

    On the other hand, Monk Media Networks founder and CEO Ashish Patkar felt the measures are being implemented too late. He said, “We are heading into an era where a Facebook 'Like' today will be an equivalent of an EVM machine button tomorrow. Social media on the positive side has politically engaged the millennial generation which has till now stayed away from voting but on the flip side, the Us V/s Them debate is being fuelled by fake media at all levels. The new controls by Facebook, Google, and Twitter is a small start towards putting out endorsed and verified messages but, frankly, I believe it is too little too late. In terms of spending, the official spending will go down but the unaccounted spends through supporter accounts and influencer accounts will continue unabated and in my view actually go up.”

    With over 556 million Indians on the internet this time around, the spectacle will be one to witness as to how political parties harness the power of the medium while at the same time ensure its fair usage.

  • Dinesh Akula quits TV9, joins Express TV

    Dinesh Akula quits TV9, joins Express TV

    MUMBAI: It seems to be a season of movements in the news television sector. And the latest to join the long list is former TV9 executive editor Dinesh Akula.

     

    Akula has joined a Hyderabad based start up channel Express TV as senior VP-editorial and operations. In his new role, Akula will be responsible for the channel’s overall editorial content that goes on-air. “I will also be looking at the two websites-Telugu and English, of the network, apart from overlooking the entire operations,” says Akula.

     

    On the future plans, he says, “Well, it’s been just a couple of days since I joined and so currently I am understanding the structure of the organisation and then will start working on the network’s future plans.”

     

    Express TV is looking at launching two news channels in Tamil and Kannada languages. Not only this, the network is also hoping to launch an entertainment channel soon. “The biggest challenge this year was covering the general elections, and after that I was looking at changing my profile and Express TV gave me that opportunity,” he adds.

     

    The move has come after he spent close to seven years in TV9 where he was responsible for the on-air content, the look and feel, planning and execution of content strategies for TV9 Telugu and was earlier handling national news desk  for all the six TV9 channels. 

     

    With over 20 years of experience in media, Akula has worked with BBC in Bristol, Sky News in London, Star News (Now ABP News), Times of India and Hindustan Times in India among others.

     

  • “Thanks to fruitful elections, balance sheets look better in 2014”: Rajat Sharma

    “Thanks to fruitful elections, balance sheets look better in 2014”: Rajat Sharma

    The news industry has taken a full circle – from providing welfare information to entertainment to astrology to cricket to sensationalism and now almost pure news taking back the centre stage. In a recent phase, news channels were dominated by frivolous content and Hindi news channels stood as the main suspects. The industry has worked really hard get over it to regain its lost respect. I can now safely say that “NEWS IS BACK”.

    While the news channels have proved themselves as an effective platform for promoting culture, movies, sports and many other activities, at the same time they have played a pivotal and decisive role in tackling core issues like corruption, rape, terrorism and inflation. Relentless coverage of Delhi rape case, Anna Hazare’s Lokpal agitation, 26/11 etc. to name a few stand a testimony to that fact.

    Despite the fact that news channels comprise an enormously important element of the socio-economic and geo-political ecosystem of the country, most such channels are facing monetary issues – characterised by negative pressures on the revenue toplines and ever increasing costs. The current year though may prove to be an exception and the respective balance sheets may look better than explained, because the industry has seen a relatively long and fruitful election season.

    The carriage fees regime stemming out of the analogue pipeline (despite a couple of phases of digitisation already complete) still plagues the industry. However, with the recent developments over the last couple of years, we hope that the actual correction (from digitisation) will start happening in the near future.

    The increased bandwidth due to transition to the DAS regime, will not only push the carriage fee down, but also bring in the transparency that shall further help proper monetary compensation for the operators so that the pressure can further reduce on broadcasters. This will help boost the profitability and further the cause of more investments in developing quality content that will be dished out with better audio/video quality.

    What could have been another blow to the industry, which is already reeling under multiple pressures, a 12 min/hour advertising cap that was introduced by TRAI for all the channels. We are happy that after a series of discussions with TRAI and TDSAT, High Court has finally put a stay on the same.

    I think it’s time now that broadcasters should unite and work towards the growth of broadcasting industry that not only provides employment to thousands but is an important pillar of India’s democracy. In an example of this unity, IBF & NBA along with other industry stakeholders, have created BARC as an alternate to TAM which we are sure will be a transparent and incorruptible currency.

    (These are purely personal views of India TV chairman and editor in chief Rajat Sharma and indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)

  • 2014 was the year of innovations in digital advertising: CVL Srinivas

    2014 was the year of innovations in digital advertising: CVL Srinivas

    From a media perspective 2013 was the year of the perfect storm and something tells me that there is lots waiting to unfold in 2015.  Was 2014 the lull before another storm? The major event that dominated 2014 was of course the general election and the wave of optimism and hope that has been spreading ever since the new government came to power. Not only was this the most bitterly fought election from a media standpoint; it was the most well orchestrated win combining strategy with clever tactics.  Advertising was only one part of the strategy. 2014 will go down in history as the year that gave a new meaning to marketing of political parties. We now realise that the general election was only the beginning. With a slew of schemes, clever branding and initiatives that touch the common man, the government is turning out to be a very savvy marketer. One hopes the product lives up to its promise.

    The extension granted to TV digitisation was a bit of a dampener for the broadcast sector. There has been some indication that the phase III licensing for radio will soon go through. Meanwhile, India became the second biggest market for Facebook, the overall Internet penetration crossed 200 million and mobile Internet became the most dominant force of change. And yet we have bandwidth issues, call drops and sometimes feel like going back to the old faithful ‘landline’.  As a nation we need to play catch up in digital infrastructure and going forward I hope this is given the highest priority.

    As for the advertising industry, 2014 saw a 12.5 per cent growth (as per GroupM TYNY estimates) as against a global ad spend growth of 4.5 per cent. Apart from political advertising, if there was one sector that stood out was ecommerce. This sector will end up with more than 50 per cent growth over last year closing the year at Rs 2500 crore of ad spend. The upsurge in this sector is expected to continue. FMCG (which remains by far the biggest sector in terms of ad-spend contributing about a third of total advertising) continued to invest in advertising despite supply side pressures, poor volume growth and an uncertain monsoon season. We expect FMCG to end the year with 12-14 per cent growth. Auto has seen a revival both in terms of sales and ad spends. The sector is expected to see a 15-17 per cent ad spend growth in 2014. With petrol/diesel prices coming down, we expect more action in the months to come. Telecom brands are back after a lull, adding to the overall positive trend. All in all it was a good year, although anything less than 15 per cent ad spend growth still seems low for our market. As expected digital advertising grew at 35 per cent, while TV continued to do well with approximately 15 per cent growth. Regional language dailies helped grow the print sector. Cinema turned out to be the dark horse, with 25 per cent growth though on a relatively small base. Unlike the past few years, we had a clear blip during the festive season this year across all media.

    2014 saw a great deal of innovation in digital media advertising. GroupM and our agencies have been at the forefront of many exciting developments. Digital video has emerged as one of the biggest growth drivers of digital ad spend. Mashup, our digital video content unit has seen a lot of traction, we have made over 1500 pieces of digital video content in the past year. Across the industry, we saw many memorable campaigns launched first on digital media. More brands have taken to social media platforms to keep the conversation going, social listening is emerging as a key input for advertising and media planning.  We have worked with clients (like Nestle) to establish social command centers that have given our media and content planners real time insights. Mobile as a medium continues to grow and will soon account for nearly 20 per cent of the digital ad spend. Madhouse is our mobile center of excellence that is now in its third year of operation. Another emerging trend is audience planning, where digital inventory is combined with data to ensure better ROI for brands. GroupM’s Xaxis is a platform that is at the forefront of innovation in this space.

    We have lots to look forward to in 2015 including the ICC Cricket World Cup.

    Here’s wishing you all a Very Happy New Year.

    (These are purely personal views of GroupM south Asia CEO CVL Srinivas and indiantelevision.com does not necessarily subscribe to these views.)

  • Discovery Channel to premiere ‘Revealed: World’s Biggest Election’

    Discovery Channel to premiere ‘Revealed: World’s Biggest Election’

    MUMBAI: At every general election, citizens of India turn out at poll booths in millions to cast their votes. Despite the mind-boggling diversity of India’s ethnicity and geography, the country comes together to exercise their franchise to vote and form the government.

     

    Recounting Election Commission of India’s logistical feat of managing the largest democratic election in the world, Discovery Channel will premiere an exclusive one-hour programme – Revealed: World’s Biggest Election on Monday, 22 September at 9 pm. The special will take viewers through pre-planning and strategy process, implementation of that strategy across the country, monitoring its efficacy, the actual voting process and counting and declaration of results. These stories take the viewer from the run up the general elections in India to the appointment of the new Prime Minister of the country.

     

    Discovery Channel’s Revealed: World’s Biggest Election uncovers the various unknown aspects of the electoral process – the story behind the unique indelible ink; the ‘model code of conduct’ that the Election Commission enforces on political aspirants; and the final counting of the votes. Discovery Channel’s camera crews reached the remotest corners of the country and covered the voting procedure and the challenges faced in dramatically different terrains. On one hand, the programme portrays the challenges in managing the polling in immensely populated metropolis and on the other hand it travels with election officials to set up a polling booth in one of the smallest villages in Ladakh where there are less than 30 eligible voters.

     

    Commenting on the programme, Discovery Networks Asia Pacific executive vice president and general manager – south Asia and head of revenue, pan-regional ad sales and southeast Asia Rahul Johri said, “Revealed: World’s Biggest Election will present viewers the most comprehensive account of organising and managing the gigantic Indian general elections. With over 83 crores eligible Indian voters casting their right across 9 phases and four months, the programme will cover all the aspects of the 2014 General Elections from logistics, communication, security, polling, counting uptil the result declaration. This programme is a testimony of Discovery Channel’s continued endeavour to cover epic events of astounding magnitude and compelling relevance to viewers in India and around the world.”

     

    The viewers will see the elections as the gigantic event it is, with more than 83 crores eligible voters using more than a million electronic voting machines, media crew from all around the world and multitude of political parties campaigning. The programme reveals the enormous task by the Election Commission as 1.1 crore government officials and over 10 lacs police and paramilitary forces are deployed to assist with the elections.

  • Times Now, Twitter team up for exclusive election partnership

    Times Now, Twitter team up for exclusive election partnership

    MUMBAI: The ongoing elections are unique in many ways. And joining this is Times Now and Twitter. The duo has announced a first of its kind partnership in India where the social media platform has associated itself to exclusive content offerings created by the news channel.

    Times Now and Twitter have teamed up for the elections to create dual, interactive content for both viewers and followers to be a part of the conversation.

    The partnership is a result of the success that the news channel has seen in the social media space in the last one year creating huge properties which have garnered not just audiences but shaped the Indian social media space. These range from creating the biggest non-sporting event on twitter in the form of Rahul Gandhi’s interview with Arnab Goswami which created more than 50 crore potential impressions, to using vines to promote a show for the first time in India to creating a simple hashtag which became synonymous with the state elections in 2013 – Times Now has constantly reinvented itself on twitter. In fact, the #rahulspeakstoarnab hashtag trended for more than 48 hours in India and first seven of the top 10 trending topics were related to the interview.

    For the general elections, both Times Now and Twitter will introduce several innovative properties which will give a real time, updated picture of public opinion.

    Times Now will leverage its substantial presence on the social network to provide the audience with exclusive content created specifically for the platform. This will be in the form of infographics and videos, giving the followers a ringside view of election results with updates throughout the counting day.

    “We will also have a live sentiment analysis of twitter feeds – and participation of viewers in Times Now debate by inviting them to tweet video questions using the Vine app. This will be done by using the hashtag #IHaveAQuestion. This will give viewers an unprecedented opportunity to be a part of the political debate and add their voice to it,” said the channel through a statement.

    The same will be boosted by access to exclusive real-time data from twitter which will be presented to both TV viewers and social media followers in interesting formats – adding an entirely new perspective to the election coverage.

    The entire election coverage will use the hashtag #WhoWillFormGovt which will bring together opinion makers and influencers as well as common people on the platform.

    “Apart from this, we are also trying to make information more accessible through a novel initiative called Tweet to SMS. Through this, people will be able to follow the Times Now twitter handle and more importantly, get election related updates via SMS, making it much easier to keep track of the news,” informed the channel.