Rajesh Jha appointed as Group Editor-in-Chief of Associated Journals Limited for both Print and Web verticals

The Associated Journals Limited, a company founded in 1937 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, has appointed senior journalist Mr Rajesh Jha as Group Editor-in-Chief for its newspapers and digital properties. Rajesh Jha has spent over three decades (1987 onward) practising journalism in India, at several well-regarded newspapers and magazines, including India Today, The Indian Express, Business Standard, Open, Outlook Money and Amrita Bazar Patrika. He has also been a consultant for the World Bank.

He was most recently Editor (News) at India Today magazine. He brings with him a deep understanding of both the print and digital media environments and has led the digital/online push of some publications in the past—including Outlook Money, India’s first personal finance magazine, and Open, a general interest magazine launched in 2008.

He says these are uniquely testing times for journalists and editors in India when mainstream media seems to have abdicated its watchdog role. “Making space for news, views and perspectives that speak truth to power, hold it to account and challenge the establishment narrative is hard,” he says, but also adds that any measure of success in doing this is its own reward.

Mr Zafar Agha will continue as Editor-in-Chief of www.qaumiawaz.com. He has been associated with the AJL group for many years and has nearly three decades of print and electronic media experience. He started his career in 1980 at Link, India’s first news magazine.

His TV programme Guftagu on ETV (Urdu) was highly popular and among the most watched programmes in Urdu. He has been associated with India Today magazine and other media houses. Even while focusing his energies on Qaumi Awaz, Mr Agha will continue to advise the group on its future editorial endeavours.

The Associated Journals Limited

Founded in 1937 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, The Associated Journals Limited is the publisher of newspapers National Herald (English), Qaumi Awaz (Urdu) and Navjivan (Hindi) across seven editions. The company launched its daily newspapers National Herald in 1938, Qaumi Awaz in 1945 and Navjivan in 1947. It now publishes National Herald on Sunday, a weekly newspaper in English, Sunday Navjivan, a weekly newspaper in Hindi, and has digital portals in English (www.nationalheraldindia.com), Hindi (www.navjivanindia.com) and Urdu (www.qaumiawaz.com). The company currently operates from its offices in New Delhi, Mumbai and Panchkula.