Network18 Launches Firstpost.com, India’s First Exclusive Digital Newsroom

Mumbai, India (I-Newswire) May 9, 2011 - Network18 today announced the launch of Firstpost.com, an exclusive online news and views website that is truly digital and accessible across platforms and devices. Built on the fundamentals of blogging and the quick post, user interaction, discussion and debate, Firstpost presents a digital newsroom powered by expert writer-editors across the country and the globe to capture what we think is a powerfully shifting news and media consumption reality.

Firstpost will explore forms of curation, opinion writing, long form and short form that will be defined by sharp and insightful questions, strong commentary, breaking views and skilful selection and analysis. Through the use of best-in-class design, technology, tools and image production it will strive to be the first stop in a person’s web journey. Firspost.com will cover Current Affairs, Politics, World, Business, Investing, Economy, Ideas, Living, Bollywood and Sports.

Speaking on the launch of Firstpost.com, Lakshmi Narasimhan, CEO, Web18 said "The Network18 group is committed to News and internet. And Firstpost.com is a happy confluence of both. This product uses the unique strengths of the medium and will enrich news consumption across platforms."

Speaking on the launch of Firstpost.com, Mr. R. Jagannathan, Editor, Web18 said: "India is ready for high-quality web journalism. The problem with news today is that there is too much of it. What we need is to make sense of it all. That’s what Firstpost will seek to do: distill what is relevant and offer it in a consumable template. In other media, news and views are often a one-way broadcast to the reader or viewer. In the digital world, Firstpost will seek to co-create news in partnership with the reader/viewer/ listener."

Durga Raghunath, VP-Products, Web18 added "Firstpost will always put the user and reader first. In asking the tough questions, encouraging debate, talking to our readers, we will let every user interaction guide us. We have built a mobile global newsroom because we think the ways of digital journalism allow us that liberty. We hope that our design and production will make the user do more than she has done before with news on the web."

About Web18 Software Services Ltd.:
ABOUT Web18
WEB18, part of the Network18 Group, is one of the largest players in the Internet space in India. It runs moneycontrol.com, which is India’s largest and most influential financial, business and investor platform with more than 7.5 million users. Apart from this, WEB18 runs in.com – India’s largest Indian Horizontal portal with over 29 million users Worldwide, bookmyshow.com – India’s no.1 ticketing service for movies, events and sports, ibnlive.com - India’s leading general news portal, commoditiescontrol.com - India’s leading source for authentic and real-time commodity information, poweryourtrade.com - a subscription-based service for investors and traders delivering expert advice, stock news and analysis, tech2.com- a leading personal technology website, cricketnext.com-India’s leading cricket website and compareindia.com – India’s leading online product comparison destination.

ABOUT Network18
Network18[BSE: 532798,NSE: Network18] is one of India's leading full play media conglomerates with interests in television, print, internet, filmed entertainment, mobile content and allied businesses. Through its holding in Television Eighteen India Ltd (TV18) [BSE: 532299, NSE: TV-18], Network18 operates India’s leading business news television channels, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz. It also runs one of India’s largest Internet players - Web18, as well as one of India’s leading real time financial information and news terminals - Newswire18. TV18 has expanded into print with Infomedia18, an entity following the acquisition of Infomedia, India's leading player in the special interest publishing and printing operations space. Through its holding in ibn18 Broadcast Ltd (ibn18) [BSE: 532800,NSE: ibn18], Network18 operates in the general news and entertainment space with leading general news channels CNN-IBN and IBN7 and has launched IBN Lokmat, a Marathi news channel in partnership with the Lokmat group. ibn18 also operates a joint venture with Viacom, called Viacom18 which houses the MTV, VH1 and Nickelodeon channels in India - as also Studio18, the Group’s filmed entertainment operation and ‘Colors’, the country’s leading Hindi general entertainment channel. Additionally, Network18 holds the Group’s online & on-air home shopping venture, Homeshop18, its full spectrum events management venture, E18 and its sports management & marketing division, Sports18. In a pioneering foray, the group launched Forbes India, the nation's first local edition of a foreign news magazine title and the world’s most influential business brand, in collaboration with Forbes Media. For more information, log on to www.network18online.com

Company Contact Information
Web18 Software Services Ltd.
Saunak Ghosh
New Era House, Mogul Lane,
Matunga (W), Mumbai, India
400016
Phone : +91 98190 07363