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Rahul Shivshankar, the former Editorial Director and Editor-in-Chief at Times Now, has joined Network18 Group as a Consulting Editor. He will be working with the group’s news channels, including CNN News 18, News 18 India and CNBC TV 18, as well as its digital platforms. Rahul Shivshankar updated his Twitter bio to reflect his tenure as editor-in-chief from 2016 to 2023.
Shivshankar quit Times Now in June this year, after leading the channel for more than four years. His prime-time debates and hard-hitting interviews on issues of national and international importance were known.
He also hosted the flagship show ‘India Upfront’ and anchored the channel’s coverage of major events such as the 2019 general elections, the abrogation of Article 370, the Covid-19 pandemic and the farmers’ protests.
Rahul Shivashankar left Times Now
Shivshankar announced his resignation on Twitter, saying that he was taking a break from journalism to pursue other interests. He thanked his colleagues and viewers for their support and said that he was proud of what they had achieved together. He also updated his bio to reflect his tenure as editor-in-chief from 2016 to 2023.
Times Now's human resources department sent an email to staff, stating that Rahul Shivshankar has opted out of the network. As a result, Navika Kumar, the group's editor, will now be in charge of the channel's operations. All content managers on the Times Now team will report to Navika from now on.
Shivshankar left all of Times Now's WhatsApp groups, including the editorial group, on Tuesday without notice.
Journalists from the channel have revealed the existence of two factions aligned with each journalist. Although Navika shifted focus from her to the Hindi Times Navbharat channel, she continued to have the ultimate authority.
A Twitter user linked the development to the 2024 general elections, and added "He was fired. The market has sensed of a change in general elections."
The reason behind Shivshankar’s exit from Times Now is not clear, but some reports suggest that he was unhappy with the management’s interference in editorial decisions and the channel’s shift towards sensationalism and pro-government stance.
Some sources also claim that he had differences with Navika Kumar, the Group Editor of Times Network, over the editorial direction and strategy of the channel.
Rahul Shivashankar joined CNN News 18
People saw Shivshankar's departure as a setback for Times Now, as they had lost several senior journalists in the past few years, including Arnab Goswami, who left to launch Republic TV in 2017, and Anand Narasimhan, who joined News 18 India in 2020.
Although they have not announced Shivshankar's successor yet, some reports suggest that Rahul Kanwal, the News Director of India Today Group, may take over the role.
People see his joining Network18 as a boost for the group, which is looking to strengthen its position in the news space and compete with rivals such as Times Now, Republic TV, and NDTV.
Shivshankar will bring his experience and expertise to the group’s news channels and digital platforms, which have been undergoing a revamp in recent months. He will also work closely with Raghav Bahl, the founder of Network18
Who is Rahul Shivshankar?
Rahul Shivshankar is an Indian journalist and television presenter who rose to prominence as the editor-in-chief of Times Now. Born January 22, 1975, he has had a career in both print and television. Shivshankar began his career as a print reporter in the mid-1990s and later joined Headlines Today (now India Today) as part of its launch team in 2003. He served as executive editor and headed the Headlines newsroom. Today.
Shivshankar's coverage of the 2008 Mumbai attacks drew praise and he even contributed to a book on the subject. In 2013, he moved to NewsX as managing editor and anchor, and within a year was promoted to editor-in-chief. During his tenure at NewsX, the channel received ENBA's "Best English News Channel of the Year" award.
In 2016, Shivshankar joined Times Now as editor-in-chief, taking over from Arnab Goswami. He hosted several shows on the channel, including the popular talk show India Upfront.
He was named editorial director of the Times Network in June 2021, while continuing to lead the channel's editorial direction.
Apart from India Upfront, Shivshankar also hosted other shows like The Breaking News Show, Live Report and Confront, an hour-long weekend show that featured debates on social, political and economic issues with prominent panellists.
In 2021, the National Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) found that Shivshankar and Padmaja Joshi violated the Broadcasting Code of Ethics and Standards during their discussions on Times Now about the 2020 Delhi riots.
The NBDSA ordered the removal of the videos from YouTube and websites, as it found that the coverage targeted a specific community and impeded viewers' ability to form an unbiased opinion.
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