Chennai: The Federal, (www.thefederal.com) India’s only news website that looks at the nation from the perspective of the states, successfully completes 1 year of operations today.
The website, launched in March 2019, has seen about three million visits since the launch. The audience data reflects a healthy demographic mix – at least 35% readers are women and most visitors are from the 15-35 age group, underlining the website’s appeal among the youth. Keeping the audience in mind, we launched the Android and iOS apps which were also installed by more than 6,000 loyal readers.
The Federal has been appreciated for its clean, uncluttered look and feel which is easily navigable. The website covers a wide range of subjects ranging from politics, national, international, sports, business, and entertainment news. It puts special emphasis on education and health. Every day, it delves deep into one specific topic in a branded section called “The Eighth Column.” With its rich and interactive infographics, it has been able to cover every election and the results with exhaustive information and updates.
The Federal has broken new ground in digital journalism by bringing together print and video journalists, editors, writers, data scientists, coders and designers on a single platform. The Federal, with the help of a network of reporters, brings a unique perspective on national news with special focus on the South.
Milestones achieved
- Managed to achieve a readership of 3 million with an average readership of 10,000 per day
- Started with a special focus on the southern states and have been able to expand our focus to other places like Delhi, Maharashtra, West Bengal, UP, Jammu & Kashmir and the North-East
- Got into a strategic partnership with Dailyhunt which gives about 1 lakh views every month
Accomplishments
- Won a silver medal for Best Digital News Startup at WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2019
- Won a silver for Best Data Visualization at WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2019
- The investigative story on Bangladeshi immigrants was shared by Indian and international media
- First to take a different stand on the Keeladi excavations, which was later acknowledged by experts
- First to break the story of the German student’s expulsion from IIT-Madras during anti-CAA protests. The story was widely read and shared on social media
Social impact
- Sensitive to the issues that women deal with and are not spoken about. For instance – menstrual cups, body rights, substance abuse, abortions etc.
- Highlight issues related to mental illness and domestic wellbeing.
- During the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, when everyone was talking about the disease, we highlighted its economic, social, and political repercussions.
