Times of India’s ‘In With The News, Out With The Noise’ Campaign Wins International Recognition
The Times of India (TOI), India’s largest English newspaper, has been awarded first place in the National Brands segment for the Best New Video Product or Feature category at the prestigious 2025 INMA Global Media Awards. This recognition celebrates TOI’s innovative campaign, ‘In With The News, Out With The Noise’, which aims to champion the importance of credible journalism in a world saturated with misinformation and sensationalism.
The campaign, conceived as a social satire by advertising agency VML, directly addresses the pervasive issue of "fake news" that has gripped the modern media landscape. It cleverly utilizes a series of three short films that mirror the kind of unsubstantiated rumors and half-truths often encountered on social media and certain television channels. These films humorously depict the absurdity of these narratives, encouraging viewers to question the information they consume and seek out reliable sources. This core message resonates strongly in a country like India, which, according to the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risk Report, faces a significant threat from the spread of misinformation.
Beyond the impactful films, the campaign adopted a multi-platform approach. It incorporated on-ground engagement activities to reach a wider audience and foster direct interaction. Social media platforms played a crucial role in disseminating the campaign’s message and sparking online conversations. Outdoor advertising extended the reach to the public sphere, while partnerships with influencers further amplified the campaign’s voice and credibility. This integrated strategy ensured maximum visibility and impact.
The judges, comprising 60 media executives from 26 countries, selected TOI’s campaign from a highly competitive field of 198 finalists. The jury praised the campaign’s effectiveness, highlighting its “great engagement and results” and recognizing it as a “clever way of combating misinformation and disinformation.” The INMA Global Media Awards, established in 1937, are a testament to the campaign’s success, reflecting its resonance within the international media community. The competition evaluates media companies globally, divided into National Brands and Regional Brands segments, attracting 839 entries from 286 leading news media brands across 49 countries in its 2025 edition.
Sivakumar Sundaram, CEO (Publishing) of Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL), the publisher of TOI, eloquently articulated the campaign’s essence and the significance of the award. He noted the difficulty of discerning truth in the current media environment, where sensationalized news and unsubstantiated claims often dominate public discourse. The campaign serves as a call to action, urging individuals to pause, engage with credible sources like newspapers, and recalibrate their understanding of events.
The campaign’s tagline, ‘In With The News, Out With The Noise’, transcends mere marketing; it represents a critical life skill in navigating the overwhelming influx of information in the digital age. It underscores the enduring value of credibility, especially in a world often characterized by information overload and manipulative narratives. The recognition from INMA, a global benchmark of media excellence, validates TOI’s commitment to upholding journalistic integrity and providing readers with trustworthy information. The award reaffirms the belief that wit and integrity, when combined, can effectively combat misinformation and empower individuals to make informed decisions.
The campaign’s success is a testament to the power of creative communication in addressing complex social challenges. By using satire and humor, ‘In With The News, Out With The Noise’ effectively engages the audience and encourages critical thinking. The campaign’s multifaceted approach, combining compelling visuals with strategic outreach across diverse platforms, further amplified its impact. Winning the INMA Global Media Award underscores the campaign’s international recognition as a benchmark for combating misinformation and advocating for responsible media consumption. This award serves as a powerful endorsement of TOI’s commitment to journalistic integrity and its ongoing efforts to empower readers with credible information.