The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday granted interim relief to a law student–RTI activist and three journalists, staying further investigation in an FIR lodged against them over a social media post questioning the use of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s official helicopter while he was abroad.

The Delhi High Court on Monday refused to entertain a defamation claim filed by a journalist over a social media post, observing that the comment in question was extremely mild and advised public figures to develop thicker skin if they choose to be active on platforms like X.

Three journalists working with a vernacular news channel were arrested late Tuesday night for allegedly broadcasting defamatory content against a woman IAS officer, sparking a political row and fresh debate over press freedom in Telangana.

Police intimidation of journalists no longer begins with an FIR, but with a phone call or a “come explain” notice. A recent Madras High Court ruling exposes how informal summons are used to chill reporting without formal charges. As courts push back, the bigger question remains: how many stories are quietly silenced before judges ever step in?

WhistleOut Managing Editor Alex Choros has spoken of the rewarding feeling he experienced when he and fellow WhistleOut scribes Dylan Crismale, Hannah Geremia and Fergus Halliday took out wins at the Consensus IT Writers Awards.

AI has moved far beyond being a background tool. It now sits inside the very systems that shape how people see, hear, and believe the world. Deepfake videos, synthetic voices, and AI-generated anchors are no longer fringe experiments. They circulate daily on social media, research platforms, and discussion spaces like Quora and Reddit. Often, people engage with them without realising they are interacting with manufactured realities. What looks convincing now carries the power to quietly rewrite truth.

As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) heads to polls on 15 January, CNN-News18 launches extensive on-ground election coverage with its special programming, ‘Ballot Maximum City’.

Gaurav Banerjee, Managing Director and CEO of Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), is being widely recognised for his journey from journalism to leading one of India’s largest entertainment networks.

Sky News Australia is enhancing its reporting footprint across Australia and globally, with new journalist appointments and expanded coverage.

"In 2026, good journalism is not defined by how fast it is published or how loud it travels online, but by how honestly it serves the public. That is not just a resolution. It is a quiet declaration of resistance in a world that rewards speed over truth."

Anurag Varma has been appointed chairperson of the advisory wing of the Editors Club of India. The appointment letter was handed over by the club’s president, Amitabh Agnihotri.

The Madras High Court (Madurai Bench) has quashed a police notice issued to journalist Vimal Chinnappan, ruling that the police had no authority to summon or question him without a registered criminal case, Law Beat reported.

The Odisha government has taken a major step to strengthen the social security and working conditions of journalists in the state. Announcing the initiatives at a gathering organised by the Odisha Union of Journalists (OUJ) on Friday, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said the state is in the final stages of implementing a dedicated pension scheme for media professionals.

SXSW Sydney has confirmed it will not return in 2026, with organisers saying the event will formally conclude its run.

In today's news, Bondi hero and Premier talk, hate speech laws, 'Frankenbill', Vic firefighters and long grass, Rudd exits early, summer reading, tennis, and on safari in Africa, plus more. Stories and pictures by Jason Edwards, Eamon Gallagher, Hayden Johnson, Rachel Eddie and Keiran Rooney, Matthew Knott, Michael Koziol and Michelle Griffin, Mike Foley, Nicola Smith and Ronald Mizen, Morgan Begg, Jessica Gardner, Joe Kelly and Ben Packham, Sarah Ison, Fergus Ellis, Ryan Keen and James O'Doherty.