ScoopWhoop
URL | www |
---|---|
Advertising | Native |
Registration | Optional |
Current status | Active |
ScoopWhoop Media is an Indian
The company was co-founded by Sattvik Mishra, Rishi Pratim Mukherjee, Sriparna Tikekar, Saransh Singh, Suparn Pandey and Debarshi Banerjee in 2013.
History
ScoopWhoop began as an online blog for listicles launched in August 2013 inspired from BuzzFeed.[4] The first post on the blog was a listicle named: "These pictures from a Hindu lesbian wedding would make you all go aww." The idea was conceived by Sattvik Mishra, Sriparna Tikekar and Rishi Pratim Mukherjee. The listicle had generated over half a million views within a day which provided the impetus for the expansion of the blog into a regular project. Saransh Singh and Suparn Pandey were brought into the project around this time.[3]
The five co-founders were all alumni of the
In early 2014, the editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed,
In November 2014, Bharti Softbank – the joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and SoftBank Group invested ₹10 crore (US$1.3 million) in the company and acquired 36.5% of its shareholding. The valuation of the company was estimated to be approximately ₹40 crore (US$5.0 million) at the time.[2][3] According to The Caravan, the investment turned the co-founders of the company into overnight millionaires.[3]
In February 2015, ScoopWhoop began its venture into news media and hired the journalist Anuja Jairan as the
Content
ScoopWhoop produces digital content across a variety of topics and interests; it includes
While initially the company had started as a producer of listicles and other viral content; according to the Columbia Journalism Review in late 2016, ScoopWhoop "had since moved into the broader terrain of news." It was identified as one of several independent and recently founded internet-based media platforms – a group that also included Scroll.in, Newslaundry, The News Minute, The Quint and The Wire – that were attempting to challenge the dominance of India's traditional print and television news companies and their online offshoots.[5] The Business Standard described ScoopWhoop as an outlet that disseminates of news in non traditional formats around that time.[2]
ScoopWhoop.com
ScoopWhoop.com is the primary website of the company which was launched with the founding of ScoopWhoop as a digital media company. It is an English language general news and entertainment website.[4] The website also features various web series and documentaries produced by ScoopWhoop. The division is currently headed by Shivam Singh.[1] ScoopWhoop is currently collaborating with Newslaundry to produce the documentary series called Chase. The series is focused towards producing seasons on various news and current affairs and is directed by the journalist Avalok Langer.[7]
ScoopWhoop Hindi
ScoopWhoop Hindi is a website which is the
Vagabomb
Vagabomb is a website focused on current affairs, lifestyle and other contemporary writing catering to women. It was launched by ScoopWhoop in 2015.[4]
ScoopWhoop Unscripted
ScoopWhoop Unscripted is a YouTube channel launched by ScoopWhoop and hosted by Samdish Bhatia, with its own production team and which solely hosts unscripted current affairs and entertainment content. The channel hosts the Off the Record web series which features interviews with various notable personalities,[13] including the politician Manoj Tiwari,[14] activist Yogendra Yadav, journalist Ravish Kumar, among others. In October 2021, Bhatia announced that he was resigning from the company.[15]
Ok Tested
Ok Tested is a YouTube channel launched in 2017 by ScoopWhoop which produces lifestyle and entertainment content.[13]
Readership
In late 2016, the monthly unique readership of ScoopWhoop across all its three websites was estimated to be 30 million and their monthly views across all its internet assets including channels on
Controversies
In April 2017, ScoopWhoop co-founder Suparn Pandey was accused by an executive of sexual assault and misbehavior during the 2 years she worked with ScoopWhoop.[17]
In March 2018 ScoopWhoop personnel were found to be involved in negotiations for a political campaign by investigative media portal Cobrapost.[18]
In February 2022, a former ScoopWhoop employee, Samdish Bhatia accused the founder and CEO Sattvik Mishra and his wife of sexual harassment and assault, filing an FIR against him.[19] Subsequently, the court refused to grant an interim injunction sought by Mishra in connection with this case.[20]
References
- ^ Quartz India.
- ^ a b c d Mitra, Sounak (27 December 2014). "Scoopwhoop drives more web traffic than most news sites". Business Standard.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Sharma, Arnav Das (1 December 2017). "Diminishing Returns : ScoopWhoop's unending list of troubles". The Caravan. Retrieved 7 December 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g Dutta, Saptarishi. "Five reasons why ScoopWhoop, BuzzFeed's clone in India, has been so successful". Quartz. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- ^ a b c Chaudhry, Lakshmi (Fall 2016). "Can the digital revolution save Indian journalism?". Columbia Journalism Review.
- ^ "Digital media startup ScoopWhoop raises $4M from Kalaari". VCCircle. 18 November 2015.
- ^ a b "Updated: ScoopWhoop & Newslaundry launch a documentary series on YouTube". MediaNama. 13 May 2016.
- ^ "ScoopWhoop and TikTok partner for #MyTikTokStory campaign". exchange4media. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ Kohli-Khandekar, Vanita (22 February 2016). "ScoopWhoop: The new New Media". Business Standard.
- The Economic Times (India).
- ^ "About us - ScoopWhoop". ScoopWhoop.com.
- ^ "Gazabpost renamed as ScoopWhoop Hindi". afaqs!. 14 June 2018. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
- ^ a b Nath, Ojasvi. "In conversation with Sattvik Mishra, CEO, ScoopWhoop". Agency Reporter.
- ^ "Laughter: BJP MP Manoj Tiwari's reaction when asked to justify Anurag Thakur's 'goli maaro' call". Scroll.in. 31 January 2020.
- ^ "Samdish Bhatia Announces His Departure From Scoopwhoop Unscripted". Kiddaan. 30 October 2021.
- ^ Gopinath, Print Tharayil Aishwarya (28 March 2018). "ScoopWhoop Caught Negotiating A Political Campaign For Money". Askmen India. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ "ScoopWhoop: After TVF, ScoopWhoop founder Suparn Pandey accused of sexual harassment". The Economic Times. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ Upadhyay, Harsh (27 March 2018). "ScoopWhoop caught in sting for maneuvering political campaign in exchange for money". Entrackr. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "Former ScoopWhoop Unscripted anchor accuses CEO Sattvik of sexual assault". The News Minute. 8 February 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- ^ Hasan, Zeb. "Scoopwhoop, WhoopScoop, Samdish Bhatia and sexual harassment: Delhi Court refuses to gag". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
- Altnews.in
- Cobrapost
- Dailyhunt (aggregator)
- Firstpost
- India Times
- Khabar Lahariya
- Muslim Mirror
- NewsClick
- Newslaundry
- One India
- People's Archive of Rural India
- Pinkvilla
- ScoopWhoop
- SheThePeople.TV
- Scroll.in
- The Better India
- The Lallantop
- The News Minute
- ThePrint
- The Quint
- The Wire (India)
- List of television stations
- Media bias
- Paid news
- Fake news
- Godi-media
- Online journalism
- List of journalists killed
- List of news media ownership