By A Correspondent

According to the results of Front Page 2012: A Media & Entertainment Review, the Ormax Media year-ender, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi emerges as the Top Newsmaker of the Year 2012. Mr Modi’s third consecutive win in the Gujarat Assembly elections, coupled with speculation about him being BJP’s prime-ministerial candidate for 2014, ensured his high visibility in the media during the year.

The second position is occupied by Sachin Tendulkar. Besides his 100^th century in international cricket, he was also in the news over his loss of form during the Australian & England Test series and his retirement from ODI cricket.  While news on Sachin Tendulkar featured among the top 5 headlines as well, India’s best ever performance in the Olympics failed to make it to the top 5 news headlines (list given below). Arvind Kejriwal too had ample media presence over his allegations of corruption against multiple prominent personalities and the launch of his ‘Aam Aadmi’ party.

The graph below captures the top 5 newsmakers of the year with their respective scores:

The nationwide outrage after the Delhi gangrape became News Headline of the Year 2012. The news was widely reported in the foreign press and continues to be a heavy topic of discussion, with demands for more stringent anti-rape laws and a more vigilant and sensitive police force. Ajmal Kasab’s hanging ranked second, closely followed by Narendra Modi’s win in Gujarat elections.

The shortlist for research was derived from a pool of resources such as news channel and press coverage, internet search, video views and qualitative inputs available through Ormax Media’s research. News consumers in 18 markets were then asked to rate each of the shortlisted items (newsmakers and news headlines) on their visibility and relevance.

MxMIndia is exclusive media partner for Ormax Media’s Front Page 2012. MxMIndia will carry exclusive coverage on the findings over the next few weeks.  Set up in 2008 by Vispy Doctor and Shailesh Kapoor, the Ormax Media partners with 76 leading media brands today, including Star India Network, Viacom 18 Television Network, Sony Television Network, Turner India, Disney India, Times Television, Yash Raj Films, Fox Star Studios, Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, DAR Motion Pictures, Group M India, Radio City, My FM and many others.