Famous Journalists in India - List of Top Journalists in India
Journalists are flag bearers of change, they ignite revolutions, start discussions, and become the voice of the people. They keep the nation aware of the latest happenings and educate us on matters pertaining to national interest. Let's learn about some of the famous journalists in India.
Famous Journalists in India - In the vibrant world of Indian journalism, there are some famous names that have made a lasting impact. These famous journalists believed in bringing change through their words, actions, and presentation style. Their persona created such an impact that we all got glued to our television sets, newspapers, and magazines to have a detailed insight into how these journalists react to events pertaining to national and international importance. Today we will be learning about the famous journalists in India, and will also have a brief about their journey to success.
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Manjari Joshi
Manjari Joshi belongs to the golden era of news broadcasts. During the time of Doordarshan, she was among the first batch of journalists we saw on our television screens. She along with her peers Ved Prakash, Gitanjali Aiyar, and Minu Talwar brought us all interested in current affairs and news events around the world. Today she shares her vast experience with budding journalists by working as a faculty member in various media institutions.
Q: What are some best books to refer during the IIMC Entrance Exam preparation?
Some of the best books which candidates can refer to while preparing for the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) Entrance Exam preparation are as follows -
Handbook of Mass Communication (Theory and Practice) by VK Joshi
Manorama year book
Success Master: Journalism and Mass Communication Entrance Examination
Popular Master Guide for Journalism and Mass Communication Entrance Examination by R.Gupta
Mass Communication Journalism Entrance Exam of all Indian Universities by Arihant
Word Power Made Easy by Norman Lewis: General Knowledge
Q: What are some best books to refer during the JMI Entrance Exam preparation?
Some of the best books which candidates can refer to while preparing for the Jamia Milia Islamia Entrance Exam preparation are -
Jamia Millia Islamia Journalism and Mass Communication Entrance Examination by Arihant Publication
Popular Master Guide for Journalism and Mass Communication Entrance Exam by R. Gupta,
Mass Communication in India by Keval J.
Aspirants can also refer to the books specific to their course, such as R Gupta's JMI MA (English) Entrance Exam Guide, JMI University Entrance Exam Test Series, BEd Entrance Guide: Jamia Millia Islamia, and Jamia Millia Islamia: MBA Entrance Exam Guide.
Q: How to choose the books for JMI Entrance Exam preparation?
Rajat Sharma
One of the most famous journalists in India, Rajat Sharma currently heads India TV. A senior member of the Indian journalism fraternity, he reached the pinnacle of success by becoming a record holder of hosting the longest-running news-talk show “Aap ki Adaalat”. In this TV talk show, Rajat Sharma invites various famous personalities from politics, sports, and the entertainment industry and asks them questions in a courtroom-style environment. His show is very popular even today. Currently, he is the chairman of the news channel, India TV and holds good repute.
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Ravish Kumar
Hailing from Bihar, Ravish Kumar did his journalism studies at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. Today he has made a name for himself and is counted as one of the best journalists in India. His ground reporting and addressing issues not just of the common man but also of the marginalized sector, be it sweepers, sewer cleaners, etc. has made him a messiah of the common man. Ravish Kumar is one of the most famous journalists in India because of his fierce questions that demand answers from the government in the centre. Ravish Kumar is a two-time awardee of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award for the Best Journalist. He was also been conferred the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2019. He has resigned from NDTV and currently runs his own YouTube channel.
Arnab Goswami
Arnab Goswami is known for his unique style that is loud and aggressive on camera. Due to his style of journalism, he is very famous all across India and has gained a loyal follower base who don’t miss his news shows. During his prime in Times Now, Arnab was a force to be reckoned with. He was famous for asking tough questions. He resigned from Times Now to start his own channel Republic Bharat which has acquired a sizeable audience in a very short span of time. Today Arnab stands tall among the list of top journalists in India.
Q: Which books are the best to begin preparation for the JMI exam?
Candidates can refer to the books like Jamia Millia Islamia Journalism and Mass Communication Entrance Examination by Arihant Publication, Popular Master Guide for Journalism and Mass Communication Entrance Exam by R. Gupta, Mass Communication in India by Keval J, Manorama Yearbook by Philips Mathew etc. For other courses, candidates can refer to books such as R Gupta's JMI MA (English) Entrance Exam Guide, JMI University Entrance Exam Test Series, BEd Entrance Guide: Jamia Millia Islamia, Jamia Millia Islamia: MBA Entrance Exam Guide etc. In these books, you can refer to the previous years' questions so you can get an idea of the questions and the type of questions that are repeated.
Q: How to select the books for JMI exam preparation?
There are certain points that one must stick to when it comes to preparation, purchasing books, the type of books, and more. Take a look.
- One should always purchase the latest prep books available on the market.
- Purchase books according to the prescribed syllabus of the course.
- Read the summary of the book and see the content the book covers.
- Purchase prep books that have sample papers you can solve.
- Compare books from the price to the popularity of what coaching centers prescribe.
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Barkha Dutt
Barkha is said to made famous the journalist name in India. She rose to fame and became a household name due to her fearless journalism right from ground zero during the Kargil War. Although controversial, her actions were lauded by many as she risked her life while being close to the missiles and covering every action happening in the Kashmir valley. Today she runs her YouTube channel and she was once again in the limelight during the COVID-19 lockdown when she covered the plight of the migrant workers and was on the road with her team during the maximum tenure of the lockdown.
Anjana Om Kashyap
Anjana Om Kashyap belongs to Ranchi, Jharkhand, before making a successful career in journalism, she was planning to study medicine. However, destiny had other plans for her. After a setback in the AIPMT exam, she started taking journalism seriously. After a glorious career in Doordarshan, Zee News, and News 24 she now works with Aaj Tak. She is famous for her wittiness as well as her fierce stand during TV shows. She is often ranked among famous female journalists in India.
Sudhir Choudhary
Sudhir Choudhary is one of the most famous journalists in India. He garnered national fame after his prime-time show, Daily News & Analysis (DNA) at Zee News became a household name. He resigned from Zee News during his prime and joined Aaj Tak, where he currently leads the prime-time show on Aaj Tak. He is very popular on social media as well and often shares his views on various events.
Sweta Singh
Just like Anjana Om Kashyap, Sweta is a household name and ranks among the most famous female journalists in India. Sweta currently works as a news anchor with Aaj Tak, but before switching to TV she worked in print media for The Times of India and Hindustan Times for their Patna edition.
Saurabh Dwivedi
Unlike all the journalists mentioned here, Saurabh Dwivedi made his way to stardom through digital media. He was the founder of The Lallantop which was a Hindi news portal prior to getting acquired by the India Today Group. Today The Lallantop has a strong follower base due to its YouTube channel, App, and portal itself. Saurabh brings the true aura of old-school journalism coupled with technology, witty language, and unique presentation style to make it a compelling watch. Saurabh Dwivedi ranks among the most famous journalists in India.
Madhu Trehan
Madhu Trehan is the sister of media baron Arun Poorie who heads the India Today Group. After completing her education abroad, she returned to India in 1975 and co-founded the famous magazine India Today with her father V.V. Poorie who owned the Thomson Press. Apart from this, she produced and anchored Newstrack which was India's first video news magazine, and pioneered investigative journalism. She was also the co-founder and editor-in-chief of a digital media portal called Newslaundry, which was India's first subscription-driven website upon launch.
Faye D'Souza
Sudhir Choudhary
Shiv Aroor
Each of them has a unique style up their sleeve, some are fierce, a few of them are true to the core, some of them have good command over the subject matter, and some have great charisma and presenting skills. Students planning to make a career in journalism and mass communication can get inspired by them in one way or two to make a successful career in journalism.
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FAQs on Famous Journalists in India
Q: Who is the No 1 journalist of India?
A: There are no parameters to judge who is the no 1 journalist in India. The battle for being the no 1 journalist in India is between popular news channels like NDTV, Aaj Tak, India TV, Republic Bharat, News18 Hindi etc. Each journalist associated with these channels has their own positives and negatives. So no one can claim to be the no 1 journalist in India, however, just to put a general perspective, some top journalists in India in terms of viewership and fan following are Arnab Goswami, Ravish Kumar, Anjana Om Kashyap, Sweta Singh, Punya Prasoon Vajpayee, Rajat Sharma, Rahul Kanwal, Saurabh Dwivedi, Ajit Anjum, Barkha Dutt, Fayw D’souza, Sudhir Choudhary, Aman Chopra, Syed Ansari, Sapna Shukla, Ankita Dubey, etc. These journalists are popular among the masses for their fierce approach, descriptive journalism, uncovering the truth, and going the extra mile to unearth conspiracies and corruption.
Q: Who is No 1 female journalist in India?
A: There are a lot of female journalists in India who have made a name for themselves due to their distinguished traits. Some are aggressive while reporting on crucial issues, some are self-reliant, some are curious to know the hidden truth behind cream-coated narratives, many of them are tough enough to question even the high authorities, and ambitious, cynical, cocky, and unsympathetic towards culprits. In India there are a lot of female journalists, few popular names are Madhu Trehan founder of NewsLaundry and ex-founding member of India Today magazine, Sweta Singh from Aaj Tak, Faye D'souza from Mirror Now, Nidhi Razdan and Barkha Dutt from NDTV, Late Gauri Lankesh, Anjana Om Kashyap from Aaj Tak, Sucheta Dalal who uncovered the 1992 stock market scam, Manjari Joshi who was among the first news broadcasters from Doordarshan, Anupama Chopra who is a film critic and the founder of Film Companion and many more.
Q: Who is the highest paid journalist in India?
A: The highest journalists in India are Arnab Goswami, Rajat Sharma, Sudhir Choudhary, Anjana Om Kashyap, Rajdeep Sardesai, Barkha Dutt, Nidhi Razdan, Sweta Singh, Vikram Chandra and Deepak Chaurasia, etc. The salary of these journalists ranges from INR 3 to 12 crores per annum. Out of these media personalities, Arnab Goswami, and Rajat Sharma get paid more as they are also the owners of their respective channels Republic TV and India TV. Apart from the salary these high-paid journalists also received various other perks such as chauffeur vehicles, residence in prime locations, ESOPs benefits, ad revenue from their respective shows, a large cabin to work in, dedicated team to look after their personal requirements such as handling of their the social media account, taking care of the food preferences, etc. These high-paid journalists also get reimbursements for their travel expenses, food and lodging expenses, and premium health care plans.
Q: What is the salary of a journalist in India?
A: The salary of a journalist depends upon which position they have been selected for. At first, fresh mass communication graduates/post graduates are hired as interns and allocated to various departments as per their interests and the organization’s requirements in the Input and Output division, anchors, producers, reporters, guest coordinators, research departments, etc. For an entry-level journalist job in India, post successful completion of their internship period, the salary can range between INR 3 lakh to 4 lakh. As the journalist gains experience the salary sees a rise along with various other perks.
Q: What is the lowest salary for a journalist?
A: The lowest salary for a journalist is that of an intern. The intern generally gets basic expenses covered such as travel allowances or food coupons. Once the internship period is over which generally lasts for 3-6 months depending upon the media outlet, the candidate is given a full-time employment and the salary goes from low to high. At first, the salary is approximately INR 3 to 4 lakhs but it increases gradually with experience and skills.
Q: Are journalists paid well in India?
A: Yes, journalists in India are paid very well. Journalism salary in India ranges from INR 3 lakhs to 4 lakhs for an entry-level job after completion of the internship. With experience and skill development the candidate gets into the salary bracket of INR 8-10 lakhs within 4-5 years. Exceptional cases even breach the INR 10 lakh salary bracket in less time. There are also many perks associated with this salary, hence, it can be said that journalists are paid well in India.
Q: Is journalism a good field?
A: Although challenging, journalism is a very unique and unlike any other profession. In journalism one gets to explore and unearth the truth, bring change, and start discussions. Journalism plays a key role in nation-building. Today there is a lot of scope in journalism as the genre is not just limited to politics and current affairs but there are many more fields such as finance, education, law, science and technology, and sports, which have a lot of potential. Candidates can specialize in any of these streams and make a career. The overall demand for skilled journalists remains strong always, if you're looking to pursue a career in journalism, you'll likely find great job security and opportunities. In the current scenario with the growth in content consumption, journalism is not just limited to print or TV, smartphone apps and websites have also contributed a lot and in many cases, digital media has surpassed the viewership of TV and print media. So if you are interested in creating content for the digital world, the scope in this field is unlimited. Digital companies are always in need of content professionals who are highly skilled and trained.
Q: How to become a journalist in India?
A: To make a career in journalism first you need to complete the basic requirement which is to complete graduation in journalism. You can also pursue post-graduation in journalism or pick a subject of your interest such as Political Science, History, etc. to solidify your stance on the given subject matter. The degree will make you eligible to apply to various media institutions as this is the minimum eligibility criteria they ask for. During the completion of the degree, you will also be able to hone your skills in writing, being creative, creating reports, building stories, developing narratives, and researching. Once you have these skills, the platform will be provided by the media institutions, and you can make a successful career as a journalist.
With over 7 years of experience in the digital content arena, Vikrant specializes in creating unique content specific to the Media, Journalism, Film and TV stream for Shiksha. He writes articles and news covering th... Read Full Bio