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Pooja Shali, Anchor: Profile, Husband, Age, Caste and Family


Pooja Shali   Image Source: Facebook

🌟 Profile Overview

Name: Pooja Shali
Profession: Senior Journalist, Television Anchor, Correspondent
Affiliation: India Today Group (India Today TV, Aaj Tak)
Specialization: Political reporting, conflict zones (especially Jammu & Kashmir); people-centric human-interest stories (muckrack.com)

Early Life & Career Foundation

Pooja Shali hails from South Delhi. She began her journalism journey over 13 years ago with stints in both print and broadcast media, including India Today‑Hindi, Aaj Tak, and others under the India Today umbrella (indiatoday.in). Rising through the ranks, she earned a reputation for hard-hitting, empathetic reporting, particularly in Jammu & Kashmir. Her work often highlighted the region’s underrepresented voices—drug abuse, terror recruitment, effects of militancy—and placed her at the heart of major political events .

Career Milestones

  • Deputy Editor at India Today Group

  • Morning Show Anchor: First Up on India Today TV

  • Digital Host: Homeland, focusing on geopolitics and current affairs (indiatoday.in)

  • Conflict Journalism: Extensive reporting from Jammu & Kashmir, bringing human stories to a national audience (indiatoday.in)

Beyond India Today, Pooja has contributed to publications like Business Today, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and regional outlets, showcasing versatility in covering politics, lifestyle, and more (indiatoday.in).

Recent News & Controversies

🎭 Deepfake Scandal (May 2024)

In May 2024, a deeply troubling deepfake video surfaced on Instagram. It depicted Pooja Shali promoting a fraudulent trading app, falsely linking it to Reliance Industries and suggesting massive investment returns. Pooja promptly warned viewers via X (Twitter), labeling the clip as AI-altered and urging people not to share or invest in the scam (womeninjournalism.org).

She highlighted how the deepfake manipulated her voice and appearance to appear as a genuine news bulletin. Reporting the incident to Delhi Police’s cybercrime unit, Pooja later filmed an awareness video on India Today TV, warning the public about the dangers of AI-fabricated content (womeninjournalism.org).

This incident underscores the rising threat of deepfakes, especially those targeting women journalists, and sparked broader calls—from NGOs like Women Press Freedom—to tighten regulations and deepen platform accountability (womeninjournalism.org).

⚖️ 2015 ‘Sarvjeet Singh’ Interview Backlash

Before joining India Today, Pooja was a Times Now anchor. In 2015, she conducted an aggressive interview with Sarvjeet Singh, accused of harassment based on a Facebook post. Critics, including Newslaundry, argued the approach lacked journalistic restraint and may have undermined Singh’s legal rights. The article noted she repeatedly demanded an apology and treated him as guilty (newslaundry.com).

Months later, a court acquitted Singh, citing unreliable testimony. This case ignited discussions on media ethics, labeling Pooja as part of broader media sensationalism (newslaundry.com).

Personal Profile & Style

🎥 On‑Screen Persona

Pooja is known for her assertive, probing presenting style. Whether anchoring First Up or hosting Homeland, she blends clarity with strong questioning. Her delivery exudes urgency when tackling sensitive issues, balancing empathy and factual rigor.

🎙️ Digital Presence

Active across platforms like X and Instagram (@poojashali), Pooja engages directly with her audience—sharing news, addressing concerns, and occasionally exposing trolling within the media. Notably, she once defended colleague Geeta Mohan against online attacks (indiatoday.in, twitter.com).

🌐 Social Media Following

Her profile shows ~6.5K Instagram followers and ~5K Facebook followers, signaling a growing digital reach .

Why Pooja Shali Matters for Indian Media

  1. Credible Conflict Reporter – She consistently focuses on hard news, especially from regions like Jammu & Kashmir.

  2. Advocate for Accountability – Her handling of misinformation—particularly the deepfake—highlights ethical vigilance.

  3. Women on the Frontline – As a prominent female anchor in tough beats, she challenges gender norms in journalism.

  4. Embracing Digital Evolution – She combines television presence with strong online engagement and tech-savvy awareness.

🔥 Top Interesting Facts

  1. 13+ years in journalism with a keen focus on conflict regions

  2. Dual roles: Morning TV anchor and digital geopolitical show host

  3. Deepfake whistleblower: Vocal critic against AI-driven fraud

  4. Ethical spotlight: Media ethics row over the 2015 Times Now interview

  5. Platform defender: Publicly supported fellow journalist Geeta Mohan

  6. Cross-platform reach: High engagement on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

❓ FAQs

Q1: Which media outlets has Pooja Shali worked with?
A: India Today TV, Aaj Tak, Times Now (earlier), print titles like Business Today, Cosmopolitan, and others (indiatoday.in, womeninjournalism.org, informedopinion.weebly.com, twitter.com, m.facebook.com).

Q2: What’s her specialization in journalism?
A: Political and conflict reporting, with deep-focus on Jammu & Kashmir. She also hosts political talk shows and digital news segments (indiatoday.in).

Q3: What controversy involved her in 2024?
A: A deepfake video falsely showed her endorsing a scam trading app. She issued warnings and pushed for action against deepfake abuse (womeninjournalism.org).

Q4: Why was she criticized over Sarvjeet Singh?
A: In 2015, broadcast of a tough-on-camera interview led to backlash when Singh was later acquitted. Critics say it highlighted aggressive journalism pitfalls (newslaundry.com).

Q5: How can one follow her work?
A: Via India Today TV, her Instagram (@poojashali), Facebook page, and active Twitter/X updates.

Final Thoughts

Pooja Shali remains a compelling figure in Indian journalism—combining frontline conflict reporting with strong ethical stands in an evolving news landscape. She embodies a modern anchor's responsibilities: insightful, probing, digitally aware, and unafraid to call out abuse. Her experiences—transformative and cautionary—offer an essential blueprint for responsible journalism in the AI era.


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