View source for Firstpost

{{short description|Indian news organisation}}{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}}
{{undue weight|date=September 2025}}{{synthesis|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox publisher
| name         = Firstpost
| image        = Firstpost.com Logo.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert
| image_size   = 180
| parent       = [[Network18 Group]]
| status       = Live 
| traded_as    =
| predecessor  =
| founded      = {{Start date and age|2011|05|09|df=y}}
| founder      = <!-- or | founders = -->
| successor    = 
| country      = India
| headquarters = [[Mumbai]], India
| distribution =
| keypeople    = Palki Sharma<br />{{small|(managing editor)}}
| publications =
| topics       =
| genre        =
| imprints     =
| revenue      =
| owner        =
| numemployees =
| website      = {{URL|firstpost.com}}
}}

'''Firstpost''' is an Indian news website owned by [[Network18 Group]], which also runs [[CNN-News18]] and [[CNBC TV18]].<ref name="Chatterjee">{{cite web | last=Chatterjee | first=Swasti | title=News18, Firstpost Tweet Old Video of Waterspout as Cyclone Nisarga | website=BOOM | date=3 June 2020 | url=https://www.boomlive.in/fake-news/news18-firstpost-tweet-old-video-of-waterspout-as-cyclone-nisarga-8354 | access-date=10 July 2023 | archive-date=11 July 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711134204/https://www.boomlive.in/fake-news/news18-firstpost-tweet-old-video-of-waterspout-as-cyclone-nisarga-8354 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Alt News">{{cite web | title=Media misreport: Viral photo of grave with iron grille is from Hyderabad, not Pakistan | website=Alt News | date=30 April 2023 | url=https://www.altnews.in/media-misreport-viral-photo-of-grave-with-iron-grille-is-from-hyderabad-not-pakistan/ | access-date=10 July 2023 | archive-date=18 July 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718011006/https://www.altnews.in/media-misreport-viral-photo-of-grave-with-iron-grille-is-from-hyderabad-not-pakistan/ | url-status=live }}</ref> It has posted misinformation on multiple occasions.<ref name="Chatterjee"/><ref name="Alt News"/>

The Network 18 group was originally owned by [[Raghav Bahl]]. In January 2012, the group received an investment from [[Mukesh Ambani]]'s [[Reliance Industries]] through a rights issue of up to {{currency|27 billion|INR}}.<ref>{{cite web|title=Reliance enters media by opening purse strings for Network18|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/reliance-enters-media-by-opening-pursestrings-for-network18/|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=11 January 2014|date=4 January 2012|archive-date=12 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140112080432/http://indianexpress.com/article/news-archive/web/reliance-enters-media-by-opening-pursestrings-for-network18/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==History==
Firstpost began in 2011 as an online news portal of Network18.<ref name="Jha 2019"/> In May 2013, the news group was merged with the Indian edition of ''[[Forbes India]]'' whose four top editorial heads, including editor in chief Indrajit Gupta, were dismissed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/forbes-india-editors-sacked-for-demanding-stock-ownership/article4795699.ece|title='Forbes India' editors sacked for demanding stock ownership|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=11 January 2014|date=9 June 2013|last1=Menon|first1=Meena|archive-date=6 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106170909/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/forbes-india-editors-sacked-for-demanding-stock-ownership/article4795699.ece|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/business/special/why-forbes-editors-in-india-were-sacked/20130614.htm|title=Why Forbes' editors in India were sacked|publisher=[[Rediff]]|access-date=11 January 2014|archive-date=11 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111154924/http://www.rediff.com/business/special/why-forbes-editors-in-india-were-sacked/20130614.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The event led to a media furor.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/no-country-for-good-journalists-113111600236_1.html|title=No country for good journalists?|date=16 November 2013|work=[[Business Standard]]|access-date=20 February 2014|last1=Aravind|first1=Indulekha|archive-date=26 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226111443/http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/no-country-for-good-journalists-113111600236_1.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Thereafter on 31 May 2013, Firstpost took over a satirical website [[Faking News|Fakingnews.com]] for an undisclosed amount.<ref>{{cite news |title=Firstpost buys current affairs satire portal FakingNews.com |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/firstpost-buys-current-affairs-satire-portal-fakingnews-com/story-wdMGZAVsDc1C2o1CBpBycJ.html |access-date=26 August 2020 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=31 May 2013 |language=en |archive-date=7 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207073051/https://www.hindustantimes.com/business/firstpost-buys-current-affairs-satire-portal-fakingnews-com/story-wdMGZAVsDc1C2o1CBpBycJ.html |url-status=live }}</ref> According to [[Scroll.in]], "Network18, with its online outlet ''FirstPost'', famously lost its primetime anchors in 2014 because of a [[diktat]] against criticising [[Narendra Modi|Modi]]."<ref name="Venkataramakrishnan 2016">{{cite news |last1=Venkataramakrishnan |first1=Rohan |title=Vadra investigation: Congress attacks NDTV as FirstPost gets praise – what's going on? |url=https://scroll.in/article/809264/vadra-investigation-congress-attacks-ndtv-as-firstpost-gets-praise-whats-going-on |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=[[Scroll.in]] |date=3 June 2016 |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708145313/https://scroll.in/article/809264/vadra-investigation-congress-attacks-ndtv-as-firstpost-gets-praise-whats-going-on |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2015, ''[[The Caravan]]'' reported on censorship in Firstpost over criticism of political leaders such as [[Arun Jaitley]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dev |first=Atul |title=Why is Firstpost Being Asked to Refrain from Criticising Three Top Leaders from the BJP? |url=https://caravanmagazine.in/vantage/why-firstpost-being-asked-refrain-criticising-three-top-leaders-bjp |date=15 August 2015 |website=The Caravan |language=en |access-date=8 July 2023 |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708145016/https://caravanmagazine.in/vantage/why-firstpost-being-asked-refrain-criticising-three-top-leaders-bjp |url-status=live }}</ref> In January 2019, a weekly English-language print edition of ''Firstpost'' began,<ref name="Jha 2019">{{cite news |last1=Jha |first1=Lata |title=Firstpost newspaper targeted at niche, discerning audiences |url=https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/firstpost-newspaper-targeted-at-niche-discerning-audiences-1548230093820.html |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |date=23 January 2019 |language=en |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708150008/https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/firstpost-newspaper-targeted-at-niche-discerning-audiences-1548230093820.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sirur |first1=Simrin |last2=Bajpai |first2=Shailaja |last3=Choudhary |first3=Ratnadeep |title=Making news — Zee's financial woes, Firstpost launch and BJP's WhatsApp 'fake news' |url=https://theprint.in/plugged-in/making-news-zees-financial-woes-firstpost-launch-and-bjps-whatsapp-fake-news/184231/ |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=[[ThePrint]] |date=28 January 2019 |archive-date=23 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231023172707/https://theprint.in/plugged-in/making-news-zees-financial-woes-firstpost-launch-and-bjps-whatsapp-fake-news/184231/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and then ended in June 2019, with publication of ''Firstpost'' continuing online.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Jha |first1=Lata |title=Network18 suspends publication of Firstpost newspaper |url=https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/network18-suspends-the-publication-of-firstpost-newspaper-1559813616620.html |access-date=8 July 2023 |work=[[Mint (newspaper)|Mint]] |date=6 June 2019 |language=en |archive-date=8 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708144638/https://www.livemint.com/industry/media/network18-suspends-the-publication-of-firstpost-newspaper-1559813616620.html |url-status=live }}</ref> As of April 2020, Jaideep Giridhar is the executive editor of ''Firstpost'' in [[Mumbai]], while Sanjay Singh is the deputy executive editor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.firstpost.com/about-firstpost|title=About Firstpost - Firstpost|website=Firstpost|access-date=31 August 2018|archive-date=31 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831141222/https://www.firstpost.com/about-firstpost|url-status=live}}</ref> On 26 January 2023, the prime-time show ''Vantage'' was launched, hosted by managing editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay, formerly of [[WION]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Srikanth |first1=Swarna |title=Palki Sharma's Vantage - Changing geopolitical landscape through the Indian lens |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/fpj-exclusive-palki-sharmas-vantage-changing-geopolitical-landscape-through-the-indian-lens |website=[[Free Press Journal]] |access-date=13 February 2023}}</ref>

Fact-checkers have found Firstpost to have posted incorrect information on multiple occasions. In 2023, it misreported a photo of a grave with an iron grille as having been taken in Pakistan, even though the grave was actually located in Hyderabad, India.<ref name="Alt News"/> In 2023, it falsely reported that [[Atiq Ahmed]]'s vote had 'saved' the [[Second Manmohan Singh ministry|United Progressive Alliance government in 2008]].<ref name="Varma">{{cite web | last=Varma | first=Aishwarya | title=Fact-check: Did Atiq Ahmed's Vote 'Save the Upa Govt' in the 2008 Trust Vote? | website=TheQuint | date=18 April 2023 | url=https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/atiq-ahmed-saved-upa-government-fact-check | access-date=10 July 2023 | archive-date=11 July 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711134202/https://www.thequint.com/news/webqoof/atiq-ahmed-saved-upa-government-fact-check | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Chatterjee"/> In 2025, it passed off an unrelated image from a 2021 video as being that of the perpetrator of the [[2025 Pahalgam attack]].<ref name="x955">{{cite web | last=Majumder | first=Shinjinee | title=Kashmir Terror Attack: Media outlets use screengrab from 2021 video, claim it shows terrorist from Pahalgam incident | website=Alt News | date=2025-04-24 | url=https://www.altnews.in/kashmir-terror-attack-media-outlets-use-screengrab-from-2021-video-claim-it-shows-terrorist-from-pahalgam-incident/ | access-date=2025-05-12 | archive-date=21 May 2025 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250521234824/https://www.altnews.in/kashmir-terror-attack-media-outlets-use-screengrab-from-2021-video-claim-it-shows-terrorist-from-pahalgam-incident/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|firstpost.com}}

{{Network 18}}
{{Media of India}}

[[Category:2011 establishments in Maharashtra]]
[[Category:Conservatism in India]]
[[Category:Conservative websites]]
[[Category:Godi media]]
[[Category:Indian news websites]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2011]]
[[Category:Mass media in Mumbai]]
[[Category:Network18 Group]]
[[Category:New media]]
[[Category:Right-wing politics in India]]