Ensuing the footsteps of Arnab Goswami, senior journalist Barkha Dutt has resigned as Consulting Editor of NDTV to start her own venture. The journalist confirmed her move in a series of tweets and said, “It’s been a super ride at NDTV but new beginning in 2017. I shall be moving on from NDTV to explore new opportunities & my own ventures!”
Barkha joined NDTV straight out of college in 1995, became a leading name in Indian English Television Journalism and now resigned after two-decade stint with the media house. She was the host of NDTV’s popular prime time show, The Buck Stops Here and the weekend talk show We the People which won the Indian Television Academy award for Best Talk Show five years in a row. She also said, “I am especially proud of We the People the last episode of which I hosted today – at sixteen years it’s the longest running show on Indian TV”
Barkha who rose to fame in journalism for her fearless coverage of Kargil war in 1999, has won many national and international awards. She even won India’s fourth highest civilian honor the Padma Shri.
NDTV in their statement said, “We are certain that Barkha will go from strength to strength and NDTV wishes her all the very best”
Recently, she joined The Washington Post’s Global Opinion section as a contributing columnist. Barkha did not disclose details on her next move but said “I will be moving on to explore new opportunities, diversify my interests and build my own multimedia content and events company as well as special projects”
However, her stint with NDTV was also stained with controversies as she figured in the controversial Radia tapes and for her reporting on Gujrat riots in and 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
Indian English Television journalism is going to witness colossal change especially after Arnab Goswami announced his new venture “Republic” and now with Barkha giving similar signs of new venture.