Who Owns Firstpost?

• Parent Company: Network18 Media & Investments Limited
• Ownership Type: Wholly owned
• Acquisition Year: 2009
• Company Type: Publicly Traded
• Stock Ticker: NSE/BSE: NETWORK18

• Founded: 2009
• Founders: Network18
• Acquired by Network18 Media & Investments Limited: 2009

• Founded: 1993
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Company Type: Publicly Traded
• Stock: NSE/BSE: NETWORK18
• Revenue: not publicly disclosed

Visit Network18 Media & Investments Limited website

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Manufacturing / Operations: India

Firstpost operates under Network18's corporate sustainability framework, focusing on digital journalism ethics, responsible content standards, and environmental impact reduction in digital operations. As a digital news platform, Firstpost's sustainability efforts center on ethical reporting practices, digital accessibility, and environmental responsibility in its operations.

Digital Journalism Ethics and Standards: Firstpost maintains comprehensive editorial guidelines designed to ensure accurate, balanced, and responsible news reporting. The platform follows Network18's code of journalistic ethics, which emphasizes factual accuracy, source verification, and balanced coverage across political and social issues. However, the platform has faced criticism regarding editorial independence, particularly following Network18's acquisition by Reliance Industries in 2014.

Environmental Sustainability in Digital Operations: As a digital-first news platform, Firstpost has a smaller environmental footprint compared to traditional print media operations. The platform leverages cloud-based infrastructure and digital distribution methods that reduce paper consumption and physical distribution impacts. Network18 has implemented initiatives to optimize data center energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of digital operations across its news properties.

Content Accessibility and Digital Inclusion: Firstpost provides free access to news content, supporting information accessibility across diverse socioeconomic groups in India. The platform's mobile applications and responsive website design ensure content accessibility across various devices and internet connectivity levels, contributing to digital inclusion in the Indian media landscape.

Workplace Diversity and Inclusion: Firstpost benefits from Network18's diversity and inclusion initiatives aimed at creating representative newsrooms. The platform has implemented programs to increase diversity in editorial positions, though the media industry continues to face challenges in achieving balanced representation across gender, regional, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Community Engagement and Public Service: Firstpost contributes to public discourse through investigative journalism, political analysis, and social issue coverage. The platform's fact-checking initiatives and public interest reporting serve democratic functions by providing citizens with information for informed decision-making.

Firstpost has received recognition within the Indian digital media landscape for its news coverage, editorial initiatives, and digital journalism innovations, though the platform has faced both accolades and criticism during its operation.

Digital Journalism Recognition: Firstpost has been acknowledged for its innovative approach to digital news presentation and its ability to adapt to changing media consumption habits. The platform's mobile-first strategy and multi-format content delivery have been cited as examples of successful digital media transformation in the Indian context.

Editorial Excellence Awards: Firstpost's investigative reporting and political analysis have received recognition from Indian media organizations. The platform's coverage of political developments, economic policy, and social issues has been cited for its depth and analytical approach, particularly in its long-form analysis pieces and special reports.

Digital Media Innovation: The platform has been recognized for its use of multimedia storytelling, data visualization, and interactive content formats that enhance reader engagement and comprehension of complex issues. Firstpost's integration of video content, podcasts, and interactive graphics has been acknowledged as advancing digital journalism standards in India.

Audience Engagement Recognition: Firstpost has achieved significant audience reach and engagement metrics, particularly among urban, educated readers in India. The platform's ability to maintain readership growth in a competitive digital media environment has been noted by industry observers and media analysts.

Industry Leadership Recognition: Firstpost executives and editorial staff have been invited to speak at media industry conferences and journalism forums, sharing insights on digital media strategy, audience development, and the future of news publishing in emerging markets.

Firstpost has faced several significant controversies throughout its history, primarily related to editorial independence, factual accuracy, and concerns about media bias under corporate ownership. These issues have tested the platform's credibility and raised questions about journalistic standards in corporate-owned digital media.

Editorial Independence Concerns (2014-Present): Following Network18's acquisition by Reliance Industries in 2014, Firstpost faced significant criticism regarding editorial independence. According to Scroll.in reporting, "Network18, with its online outlet FirstPost, famously lost its primetime anchors in 2014 because of a diktat against criticising Modi." The editor-in-chief of Network18's flagship channel CNN IBN resigned within a week of the takeover, citing management interference in editorial decision-making. These developments raised concerns about corporate influence over news coverage, particularly regarding reporting on Reliance Industries and related political matters.

Censorship Allegations (2015): In 2015, The Caravan reported on censorship practices at Firstpost, specifically regarding criticism of political leaders such as Arun Jaitley. The report documented instances where editorial content was modified or suppressed to avoid criticism of powerful political figures, raising questions about the platform's commitment to independent journalism.

Factual Accuracy and Misinformation Issues: Firstpost has faced multiple fact-checking challenges and corrections for publishing incorrect information. In 2023, the platform misreported a photo of a grave with an iron grille as having been taken in Pakistan, when the grave was actually located in Hyderabad, India. Later in 2023, Firstpost falsely reported that Atiq Ahmed's vote had "saved" the United Progressive Alliance government in 2008, a claim that was factually incorrect. In 2025, the platform passed off an unrelated image from a 2021 video as being that of the perpetrator of the 2025 Pahalgam attack, demonstrating ongoing issues with image verification and fact-checking processes.

Management Changes and Editorial Restructuring: Firstpost has experienced significant editorial turnover and restructuring, particularly following the 2014 ownership change. The departure of senior editorial staff and subsequent management changes have been cited as examples of corporate influence affecting editorial independence and newsroom stability.

Cost Cutting Measures Impact (2019): During Network18's 2019 cost-cutting initiatives, Firstpost and other Network18 properties implemented budget reductions that affected freelance budgets and newsroom resources. These measures led to concerns about reporting quality and the platform's ability to maintain comprehensive news coverage amid financial constraints.

Print Edition Experiment (2019): Firstpost's brief foray into print publishing with a weekly English-language print edition in January 2019, which ended in June 2019, raised questions about strategic direction and resource allocation within the Network18 portfolio. The short-lived print experiment demonstrated the challenges of transitioning between digital and print media formats.