Perception Study of News TV Channels of India

A PPT on Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) analysis visually mapping Indian news channels based on audience perception, political alignment, and journalistic style to reveal market positioning and strategic insights.

1. Perception Study of News TV Channels Presented By : Group 12 Marketing Research Project Aditya Mahapatra UM24132 Liza Acharya UM24162 Milan Mohapatra UM24164 Prasad Panchal UM24174 Sankalp Rath UM24184

2. Current Media Landscape The Indian news media landscape is highly dynamic, characterized by intense competition, political affiliations, and evolving audience preferences. Traditional television news channels continue to dominate, but they face increasing challenges from digital-first platforms and social media. Many channels are perceived to lean towards specific political ideologies, influencing their credibility and viewership. Sensationalism and aggressive debates have become common strategies to attract audiences, often at the cost of in-depth journalism. With the rise of independent digital news platforms, viewers now have more choices, leading to a fragmentation of the audience base. However, trust in mainstream media is declining, making media transparency and balanced reporting more critical than ever. Situation Analysis Bias: Viewers perceive channels as leaning left or right, affecting trust. Sensationalism: Overdramatization of news reduces credibility. Lack of Neutrality: Many viewers feel news channels prioritize ratings over unbiased reporting. Key Concerns

3. Research Problem & Objectives How do Indian news channels differ in terms of political stance and reporting quality, and what are the implications for media credibility? Problem Statement Assess perceived political stance and reporting quality. Identify patterns using Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS). Provide recommendations for media trust improvement. Objectives

4. Research Methodology The study follows a qualitative research approach , utilizing an online survey to assess audience perceptions of media bias and reporting quality. A sample of 50 respondents with varied demographics was selected to capture diverse perspectives on Indian news channels. The responses were analyzed using Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) , a statistical technique that visually represents the similarities and differences in audience perception of news channels. This approach helps in identifying patterns related to political bias and journalistic style , offering insights into how different news channels are positioned in the minds of viewers.

5. Research Design Methodology: Online survey-based study Sampling: Convenience sampling of 50 respondents Survey Tool: Likert scale & Semantic Differential scale Key Dimensions: Political stance and reporting quality

6. Survey Questions: • Political Bias (Scale: Extreme Left to Extreme Right) • Reporting Quality (Scale: Sensational to Fact-based) • Data Source: Responses from a diverse audience • Limitations: Subjectivity & Sampling Bias Data Collection & Survey Design

7. Questionnaire Fact based Sensationalism Professionalism Viewpoint Diversity

8. Analysis R square R² is a measure of how well the distances in the lower-dimensional MDS solution represent the original dissimilarities Interpretation of the measure: Closer to 1: Better fit, meaning the MDS representation preserves the original distances well. Closer to 0: Poor fit, meaning the MDS representation does not accurately reflect the original data Stress fit Stress quantifies how much the distances in the MDS space deviate from the original dissimilarities.

9. MDS Spatial Mapping

10. Dimension 1 (X-Axis): Political Bias Left-wing (Liberal/Critical of Government) Right-wing (Pro-Government/Nationalistic) NDTV and News18 lean towards one end, possibly being perceived as more neutral or centre -left. Zee News and Republic TV lean towards the other end, possibly being seen as more right leaning. Interpreting the dimensions Dimension 2 (Y-Axis): Journalistic Approach Sensationalism & Aggressive Debates Analytical, Editorial-Based Reporting FirstPost and India Today, placed higher, may be more analytical or editorial focused. NDTV and News18, positioned lower, might be perceived as providing more traditional or general news coverage. The MDS plot in the study provides a two-dimensional representation of how respondents perceive different news channels.

11. Inference Zee News, ABP News, and India Today (Upper Left Quadrant) These channels share audience perception, meaning they have overlapping reporting styles. Their positioning suggests they are right-leaning but not at the extreme. ABP News and India Today try to maintain a broader audience, balancing mainstream narratives with journalistic reporting. Zee News is slightly more aggressive in tone, often promoting nationalist perspectives. NDTV and News18 (Bottom Right Quadrant) NDTV: Known for analytical and investigative journalism, its perceived left-leaning stance aligns with the findings. News18: Owned by Reliance’s Network18, it presents a mix of pro-government and mainstream views. This cluster stands far from others, suggesting a distinct identity in the media landscape. FirstPost and Times Now (Top Right Quadrant) These channels have a unique identity and do not strongly overlap with others. Times Now: Known for high-energy debates and aggressive editorial stances. FirstPost: A digital-first platform, focusing on opinion-based journalism rather than live news debates. Their separation from other clusters indicates they cater to niche audiences rather than mainstream viewers. Republic TV's Positioning Republic TV appears close to the center, suggesting a mixed perception. Its debates are aggressive, but it maintains elements of both right-wing alignment and mass-appeal journalism. It borrows characteristics from Zee News (nationalist tone) but also shares the loud, debate-driven style of Times Now.

12. Key Takeaways from MDS Analysis A. Political Alignment & Audience Perception Strong Right-Leaning Channels: Zee News, Republic TV Moderate Right-Leaning: ABP News, India Today Moderate Left-Leaning: News18 Strong Left-Leaning: NDTV B. Journalistic Approach More Sensational/Debate-Oriented: Times Now, Republic TV, Zee News More Analytical/Editorial-Based: NDTV, FirstPost, India Today Balanced Between Sensationalism & Analysis: News18, ABP News C. Market Positioning Implications Channels close together compete for the same audience base (e.g., Zee News & ABP News). Channels far apart serve distinct market segments (e.g., NDTV vs. Republic TV). Advertisers can use this data to optimize media placement by targeting specific audience preferences.

13. For News Channels: Zee News, Republic TV: Can maintain mass appeal but need to balance factual reporting with aggressive debates. NDTV, News18: Should continue in-depth journalism but consider increasing engagement strategies to attract wider audiences. India Today, ABP News: Can differentiate themselves further to avoid direct competition. For Advertisers: Right-leaning brands may prefer Zee News, Republic TV. Balanced campaigns may work better on India Today, ABP News. Social awareness campaigns might be more effective on NDTV, News18. For Viewers: Encouraged to diversify their news sources to get a more holistic perspective. Implications for Media Strategy

14. Thank You