India trusts private TV panels, YouTube live streams and social media forwards with public discourse but not licensed FM radio stations. This piece questions the logic behind India’s continued ban on private FM news, unpacking security arguments, stalled TRAI reforms and the cultural hangover of state monopoly. Through candid voices from Radio City RJs, it argues that radio may actually command deeper trust than 24-hour television and that lifting the ban could reshape both credibility and commerce on India’s airwaves.

A late-night call. A nervous laugh. A sudden silence when a listener breaks down mid-sentence. Radio has always lived in these small, unscripted moments, the kind technology can mimic, but never truly feel.

The All Assam Journalists’ Union (AAJU) on Tuesday announced the recipients of its 2026 journalism awards at a meeting held at its central office in Tezpur. The awards ceremony is scheduled for March 9, 2026, in Bongaigaon district.

The newsroom of 2026 does not just move faster. It thinks differently. Under relentless pressure to publish quickly without compromising accuracy, journalists are increasingly turning to advanced AI systems that scan vast amounts of data in minutes. These tools detect patterns, flag inconsistencies, surface historical records, and identify misleading claims long before a human reporter could manually complete the same task. In a media ecosystem flooded with viral posts, edited clips, and manipulated data, speed alone is no longer enough. Verification has become the true competitive edge.

Last night, Influencing had the pleasure of attending Archetype PR's Connect event at its HQ in Surry Hills, Sydney. An 'after-work drinks-style' event, the night had journos and PRs within the tech community engaging, laughing and catching up.

In today's news roundup, it's 'Lone-Ley', 'leadership Taylor's for the asking', 'Taylor ahead but only just', Roadrunner vs Coyote, secret hearing for former brothel owner, senior cop said prayers could finish, and 'Chair Chucker' unmasked, plus more.

Women journalists have played a crucial role in rebuilding and reshaping journalism by overcoming legal, social and intellectual barriers, said Padmaja Shaw, retired professor of journalism at Osmania University.

The ICFJ Knight International Journalism Award has extended nominations for 2026.

Sarla Maheshwari, a popular Doordarshan news reader from the 80s, died in Delhi on Thursday, February 12. She was 71.

In today's #fourthright column , we analyse the most recently amended IT rules which mandates that synthetically generated information (SGI) i.e. any audio, visual or audio-visual content that is artificially or algorithmically created, modified or altered using a computer resource, needs to be explicitly labelled for users to identify them. As several key states go to polls in the coming months, will the new laws help in putting an end to the hundreds of deepfake factories operating across the country or curb media freedom in the garb of checking for SGI?

New rules for AI-generated content will take effect in India on February 20, 2026, and they will impact brands, agencies, creators and paid ads across major social media platforms.

In today's THE BRIEF: Bribery, drugs, bikies and billions of taxpayer dollars, 'DIRTY, ROTTEN, DISGRACE' - and that's just one story - plus the Liberal leadership kerfuffle, bakery worker accused of spying for China, Bolt on the Lib's women issue, and cocky out west.

India Today will host the Tamil Nadu Round Table in Chennai on February 11, bringing together political leaders and commentators as the state gears up for the 2026 Assembly elections.

The South India Journalists Union (SIJU) has strongly condemned the alleged assault on a journalist in Chennai on February 9, calling it a serious threat to press freedom and democratic values. In a statement issued on February 10, SIJU urged the Tamil Nadu government to take immediate action against those responsible.

The Press Club of India and DIGIPUB News India Foundation have raised serious concerns over what they describe as growing restrictions on press freedom following the temporary blocking of The Wire’s Instagram account and the removal of a satirical cartoon from multiple platforms.