Crafting News That Hits the Spot

In the series, Digital Media Shakers, we highlight bold voices shaping public interest and independent media. These are individuals whose passion goes beyond the medium – they are working to create lasting change in the (digital) media industry.

Working in legacy media has its perks. Even in an unstable industry, there’s a path to rise through the ranks as a reporter.

What’s far less common is stepping away from that path entirely to building something new. It’s a path few are encouraged to take – and for good reason. Launching a media venture is risky, uncertain and undeniably daunting.

But Sruthi Gottipati dared to take that leap. A seasoned journalist and media executive, she decided it was time to move beyond legacy print. In just May of this year, she officially launched Spot On – a platform delivering news from India in 60 seconds or less, built for Gen-Z’s bite-sized, scroll-happy consumption. You can follow Spot On through platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and LinkedIn.

We spoke with Sruthi about the transition from journalist to founder, how Spot On came to life and why accessible, credible news is worth building from scratch. Check out our conversation!

From Vision to Venture

RNW Media: What encouraged you to start Spot On?

Sruthi: I knew the business model behind journalism had crumbled. Facebook, Google and Craigslist had eaten the media’s lunch ages ago. Even great reporters were left fighting for scraps. I didn’t see a ton of journalists step into business roles or found media ventures. For good reason too. News folks inherently skeptical of power see making money as someone else’s business. But I believe if we care about journalism’s place in a democracy, we need to understand how to sustain it.

So, I moved from legacy print media to a startup in 2017. I joined a French digital video company with global aspirations called Brut. I launched their India vertical, Brut India, and grew it into the most-watched English-language publisher across social platforms in the country. Building it into a sustainable business gave me the confidence to start Spot On. Could I now apply this model of video-first, social-native storytelling in the service of public-interest journalism? I see younger viewers spending all their time scrolling social video. Could I amplify important information to them in novel, accessible formats? These are people who aren’t actively seeking the news. I think of it like sneaking veggies into junk food.

RNW Media: I love that analogy! Tell us more about this model.

Sruthi: One of the major changes I’ve seen over the last several years has been the shift in trust from institutions to individuals. Trust is no longer built in towers but on handheld screens. The creator economy has gone from fringe to foundation. I’m building a news company for this future – scrappy, audience-centric, with an eye on sustainability from the very start. And I know I have my work cut out for me. Spot Oncurrently focuses on India where many critical narratives go underreported. I wanted to double down on reaching and engaging young audiences, especially at a time when publishers are moving away from accountability reporting. It clarified my mission more than ever.

RNW Media: And what does the Indian media landscape look like?

Sruthi: India is a crowded media landscape. There are plenty of digital publishers, hundreds of news channels, some 20,000 daily newspapers with considerable reach. But many news outlets are beholden to government interests. The government is the biggest advertiser. Media ownership is also increasingly getting concentrated in the hands of a few billionaires. Suffice to say there are shrinking avenues for independent publishing. 

Legacy media has also struggled to adapt to social-first mobile-optimised formats. Young audiences aren’t uninterested, they’re underserved. Their parents might watch what passes for news on TV or read the morning paper but Gen Z live their lives online. They’ve grown up having  a million things clamor for their attention every second. It now falls on our shoulders to have them pay attention to news that matters. 

Building While Learning

RNW Media: What are some lessons you’re learning as a founder?

Sruthi: One big thing is time management. If you’re bootstrapping like I am and juggling a lot of roles that demand constant context switching, you must ruthlessly prioritize. I’m a really detail-oriented person but if you get caught up in low-impact tasks, you can lose sight of your mission fast.

Another thing is adapting quickly to evolving user behaviour and being bold about trying new things when there’s no playbook for it. I remember when I was testing new digital video formats years ago, there were folks who were quizzical about it. Now a lot of publishers use those formats too. The one thing I knew I wanted to do with Spot On is to keep experimenting because digital media is a restless beast. 

RNW Media: Let’s bring it to current events. With recent developments like the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, how do you navigate reporting on highly sensitive topics?

Sruthi: We launched officially on World Press Freedom Day (3 May) during the India-Pakistan conflict. There was an overwhelming amount of misinformation circulating and a lot of outlets jumped on unverified stories that trafficked in views and clicks. We avoided that.

Instead, we focused on verification at a moment of great uncertainty. For instance, there was a claim that the Karachi port was bombed. But one of our sources provided evidence and documentation that contradicted that. We used that footage contrasted against clips from Indian news broadcasts making false claims. It was Spot On’s way of showing what was really happening by focusing on fact-based information.

RNW Media: That speaks a lot to information integrity. What does that concept mean to you?

Sruthi: I hear the term information integrity a lot now but to me that’s just what journalism should be doing. Many fact-checking sites have emerged over the years and that’s important given the age of disinformation we live in. But to me, verification shouldn’t necessarily be a separate vertical. It also has to be part of every journalist’s work. At Spot On, we integrate this approach into our core production. We want our storytelling to be grounded in fact, always.

A Path for Independent Voices

RNW Media: If someone told you they wanted to start something like Spot On, what advice would you give them?

Sruthi: Depends on what they need. I’d share whatever I could: ideas, brainstorming pathways for financial sustainability, lessons from scaling digital media ventures. We need more independent voices and collaboration. Journalism has traditionally been competitive and scoop-driven, but independent media need to see each other as allies. 

I’m already in talks with people about partnerships in order to spotlight urgent stories and reach diverse audiences. If we want impact, we can’t do this alone.

RNW Media: That’s powerful! You’re creating a path for independent voices. It’s a mission that matters.

Sruthi: Exactly. If we succeed, we’re building a scalable model for free media. The stakes are incredibly high, and we need to get it right.

RNW Media: Final question: Why is independent media so important? Why should there be more investment in the future?

Sruthi:

But this is also an opportunity as we witness seismic technology shifts. We need to diversify revenue streams and innovate when it comes to audience engagement and monetisation strategies.

If we don’t, propaganda may fill the gap and untrue narratives could take hold. Without engaging people, civic participation could erode, marginalised voices would go unheard. People can’t have informed discussions or shape policy without reliable information. Our job is to spark conversations on critical issues – and that starts with independent media.

Stay tuned for the next Digital Media Shaker in our series!