Palki Sharma has announced her decision to step down as Managing Editor of Firstpost to start her own venture.
The development was shared during a town hall meeting for Firstpost employees on Thursday evening, according to sources.
Santosh Menon, Chief Content Officer at Network18, told staff that Sharma will remain with the company until March. Binoy Prabhakar, formerly Chief Content Officer at Hindustan Times Digital, will take over as Chief Content Officer at Firstpost, while Rakesh Rai, currently Executive Editor at Firstpost, will be promoted to Managing Editor of News18.com.
At Menon’s request, Sharma addressed Firstpost employees, reflecting on her three-year tenure with the outlet and confirming her plans to launch a new venture.
In a follow-up email, Menon wrote, “It is with a heavy heart that I share an important leadership update at Firstpost. After a remarkable tenure as Managing Editor, Palki Sharma has decided to step down.”
Menon highlighted Sharma’s contributions, noting her pivotal role in launching the prime-time show Vantage and shaping its editorial voice. He praised her clarity and insight as an anchor and her efforts in building a strong editorial team and promoting journalistic excellence. He wished her success in her future entrepreneurial endeavors.
Describing Prabhakar’s appointment, Menon called him a “highly seasoned editor” with experience at major media organisations including Hindustan Times, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, Moneycontrol, and CNBCTV18.com. He added that Prabhakar will guide and strengthen Firstpost’s editorial direction in its next phase.
Before joining Network18, Sharma left Zee Media after a contentious exit from their English-language channel, Wion, where she was a popular anchor. On September 2, 2022, after five and a half years, she announced her departure on X (formerly Twitter). Zee Media had approached the court, claiming she did not serve the required 90-day notice period, but in November 2022, the Delhi High Court refused to bar her from joining or continuing at Network18.
