A group of leading Australian science communicators has urged Communications Minister Anika Wells to fund a high-quality, safe digital space for children under 16 as the national social-media ban takes effect. The group includes Australian Science Communicators’ CEO Phil Dooley, Refraction Media’s Jasmine Fellows, Science Journalists Association of Australia President Jackson Ryan, and former Curiosity Show Host Dr Rob Morrison.  Both Fellows and Morrison spoke to Influencing, with the former remarking that the letter is, “encouraging the government to look at establishing or funding a safe digital home for Australian children and teens… This ban from December 10th, students can't create or keep accounts on key social media platforms.  “We thought there was an opportunity to create a place to encourage children to go - something positive going into that potential void to help them work in this digital space. “This is all a part of ensuring there is a healthy democr

ABC Radio listeners in Perth are getting significantly improved audio quality when ABC Radio Perth, ABC NewsRadio and Radio National make the switch from AM transmission to FM in early 2026.  This follows the outcome of The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) proposal to vary the Perth and Remote Western Australia radio licence area plans. ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks said the move to FM would deliver a major boost for audiences: “We are excited by this rare opportunity to improve the quality of the ABC’s services to our audiences in Perth. “We have long been aware of the challenges of AM reception in Perth. With FM, audiences can enjoy richer sound and more reliable broadcasts, ensuring they stay connected to the programs they love. ABC Director Audio Ben Latimer echoed Mr Marks sentiment: “We are excited by this rare opportunity to fix a long-standing audio quality issue that is uniqu

Morning, welcome to Monday and a sombre series of front pages today as attention focusses on the terrorism attack at Bondi last night. Well done to the print dailies and their hardworking journalists, designers, sub-editors and phhotographers managing such extensive coverage, given the time of the event in the early evening and tight deadlines.  Obviously digital media was rolling live and there was very good - and importantly, reliable - coverage from the ABC, Guardian Australia and News.com.au which continues this morning as more details become clear.   In print, The Australian led with an appropriately funereal-looking front page. 'Massacre of Jews' reads the all-caps headline and its sub-head of 'at least 10 dead, 16 injured' points to the early coverage and known fatalities and injured as the paper went to print. Elizabeth Pike, Stephen Rice and Liam Mendes led The Oz's reporting with Jacquelin Magnay and

India Today has launched the 3C Project, a platform designed to shift polarised conversations toward constructive, empathy-led dialogue. Instead of debates, 3C brings together people with contrasting experiences for honest, meaningful exchanges. The debut episode on X focused on caste reservation and generated strong engagement among younger audiences. According to Adgully, India Today took the discussion further by hosting an X Space on 8 December with Managing Editor Marya Shakil, drawing more than 1,000 live participants and strong replay traction. The conversation later continued on Newstrack. Through 3C, India Today aims to build a steady forum for fact-based, constructive national dialogue across its digital and broadcast platforms.

The Tamil Nadu government has expanded its support for journalists through various welfare measures. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Wednesday handed over orders sanctioning a monthly pension of Rs. 12,000 to 42 retired journalists. Minister M.P. Saminathan, Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam and senior officials were present at the event. According to the release, a total of 3,674 journalists have been enrolled as members of the Journalist Welfare Board. So far, around Rs. 8.56 lakh has been provided for the welfare of over 80 journalists. Since the DMK government took office, funds from the Journalist Welfare Fund have been sanctioned for 59 journalist families. The government has also increased assistance from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund for families in the event of a journalist’s death. The release added that since May 2021, the State has granted Rs. 30.61 lakh towards the medical treatment of 16 journalists. In July 2022, the medical assistance limit for journalis

Senior journalist Pankaj Kapahi has launched his own digital news platform, Punjab First Voice. The platform aims to deliver accurate, fast and fearless journalism that keeps Punjab at the centre of every story. From breaking news to in-depth analysis, from the pulse of villages to the buzz of cities, and from politics to culture, it wants to highlight stories that matter. According to e4m, Kapahi is a seasoned journalist with more than 15 years of experience and has worked with Living India News, Zee Media, and News18 in senior roles.