India: Going beyond the headlines
Why is it important for DW to have a physical presence in India?
You cannot cover news through remote control. You have be based in the region to feel the pulse, to know what matters most to the people there. With Studio Delhi, DW wants to get closer to one of its key target areas with the aim of providing news for the region from the region.
Is the bureau going to have a particular focus?
Of course, we will be covering news and current affairs. There is a huge appetite for news in India and great sense of curiosity. But Studio Delhi also aims to provide informative and interesting content covering a range of issues, including the environment, business, art and culture and so on. The idea is to go beyond the headlines and clichés in order to give a more nuanced picture of the situation here.
India has a young and diverse population to whom technology plays a big role. What type of content will the bureau curate for this audience?
Studio Delhi is a multi-lingual, multi-media hub which will cover all DW platforms. Given that more than fifty percent of Indians are under the age of 25, we want to provide interesting content for the young, aspirational population. This would include video content for TV & digital/social platforms ranging from reportages explainers, reports, online news and analysis. We have already seen that our Facebook user engagement has gone up three-fold in the past few months.
How does the team look like?
We have a strong team of 16. I am particularly pleased to say it is a completely gender balanced group - with eight women and eight men. Apart from English, we are providing output in the languages of Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and soon also in Tamil. In that sense Studio Delhi is a hub for South Asia.
What does this appointment mean to you?
I know both Germany and India well. To be able to bring together my motherland India and my fatherland Germany both professionally and emotionally is a gift! I see huge potential in developing Studio Delhi at a time when regionalization and digitalization are key DW priorities. The opportunities in India are immense but so are the challenges. There will never be a dull moment here – after all, it one of the most dynamic and vibrant regions in the world!
How is like being back in India?
My arrival in Delhi was delayed by the corona pandemic. Managing our pilot operations here in the midst of a pandemic was intense. One of the first things I did when I came here was to moderate a panel at the annual alumni gathering of my college in Delhi on Zoom. Seeing so many of my former classmates and friends during the session, I felt a great sense of home-coming!
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Born and raised in the heart of the world’s largest democracy, Amrita Cheema is a global citizen and an experienced journalist. Cheema commenced her journalism career at India’s national radio broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) as editor and moderator. After completing her doctorate in history from Oxford University, the Rhodes Scholar joined Deutsche Welle radio in Cologne as editor for the English program Asia Pacific Report – a program popular for its independent news especially from crisis areas.
For four years, Cheema worked as the Head of International News at Television India International (TVI), one of the first news and current affairs television channels in India; then joined the market leader of news, New Delhi Television (NDTV) as Associate Editor and anchor, before moving to the next chapter of her career in Australia. In Sydney, Cheema was a news presenter and reporter for the public multicultural network SBS Television – a partner station of Deutsche Welle.
Cheema has been engaged with Deutsche Welle in different capacities since 2008; from moderating panel discussions, training trainers in Africa on TV News, editing magazine shows such as People and Politics and European Journal, to being one of the most visible news anchors on DW News.
When she is not working, Cheema enjoys reading, writing, a glass of good wine and holidays on the beach.