Rajasthan has been misread for too long. Two journalists spent 15 years correcting that. Tabeenah Anjum and Deep Mukherjee's new book documents a state whose political depth rarely enters national discourse and explains why that erasure matters. When journalists Tabeenah Anjum and Deep Mukherjee began searching for a comprehensive political account of Rajasthan in English, they couldn't find one. That absence, they say, became the reason they wrote Dynasties to Democracy: Politics, Caste and Power Struggles in Rajasthan, a book born not from an academic brief but from fifteen years of notebooks, field reporting and stories that never made it past word limits. In conversation with Influencing, the co-authors spoke about what it took to document a state that most national conversations have consistently undersold. The challenge of writing the book, Anjum and Mukherjee say, wasn't a lack of material, it was the risk of flattening it. "Rajasthan's political histo

  Monday, 25 May 2026 #1  ·  Times City  ·  Investigative House Help Drugs Woman, Son To Steal Gold Jewellery — No Police Verification By Times News Service   ·   The Times of India  ·  Page 3 A domestic worker in Delhi allegedly drugged a woman and her son in order to steal gold jewellery from their home, with police finding no prior verification of the employee had been conducted. The report details a sequence of events reconstructed from police and victim accounts, highlighting systemic failures in domestic worker screening. The story raises broader questions about the absence of mandatory police verification for household staff. Beyond the crime narrative, the story effectively uses the incident as a lens to examine the systemic gap in domestic worker verification norms, lending it investigative value that goes beyond a routine crime report. #2  ·  Page One Plus  ·&n

Regional broadcaster WIN confirmed on Friday that it would kill the 10 broadcast to audiences in Mount Gambier and Riverland in South Australia, and the Griffith region in New South Wales. According to reporting from Sam Buckingham-Jones in the Australian Financial Review, WIN chief executive has confirmed those three channels would be turned off when WIN's contract with Ten expires on June 30. WIN already turned off Ten in Mildura and next at risk is large areas of regional Western Australian and Darwin. “WIN has long signalled that we will not continue with unprofitable aspects of our business and the Ten signals in South Australia and Griffith fall into that category,” Lancaster was quoted as saying. In a statement to the ABC earlier in the week, WIN said it had notified the Communications Minister and Department of Communications about its decision. The ABC story quoted Network 10 as saying the situation was out "outside of its control".. "We kn

Teals move towards a new centrist party Teal independents are in advanced talks about forming a new centrist political party or adopting a more formal “party-like” structure to coordinate campaigns and potentially contest the Senate. The push, led by figures including Allegra Spender and Zali Steggall, could reshape the post-election crossbench—though it risks diluting the teals’ independent brand and depends on whether moderates inside the Liberals are willing to jump. Covered by: The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian Financial Review. Tax fight intensifies: CGT changes spark business backlash The Albanese government’s mooted capital gains tax changes are drawing escalating criticism from business and high-profile investors, with warnings they could push capital offshore and weaken future revenue. The debate is also splitting Labor’s own ranks, with pressure for broader start-up concessions while the government manages the politics by putting other MPs forward as T

Veteran journalist Oken Jeet Sandham’s sixth book, The Naga Talks: Deadline, Deadlocks and the Search for a Solution, was launched by Minister KG Kenye in the state capital recently. The book traces the history of Indo-Naga peace negotiations, including the 2015 Framework Agreement and the 2019 deadline for talks. At the launch, Sandham said the book highlights expectations, missed opportunities, and the ongoing search for a lasting and inclusive solution to the Naga issue. He said his interest began after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2015 meeting with Naga leaders, which shaped his understanding of the peace process.     Image Source: Nagaland Tribune

Lifestyle journalists are no longer competing solely with rival publications. They are now competing with influencers and creators who can shape trends, recommendations and consumer behaviour in real time. From fashion and food to travel and wellness, influencers have increasingly become the first point of reference for audiences looking for recommendations, reviews, and lifestyle trends. Their content is quick, visually engaging, conversational, and designed for platforms where attention spans are shrinking rapidly. The shift has sparked growing debate within media circles over whether influencers are slowly replacing lifestyle journalists — or simply forcing journalism itself to evolve. Audience behaviour has changed dramatically over the past few years, particularly after the rise of short-form video platforms and post-pandemic digital consumption habits. Long editorial reads and magazine-style reviews are increasingly competing with creators who document experiences insta

Friday, 22 May 2026 #1  ·  Times City  ·  In-depth feature Grasping At Straws: 45°C Outside, A Bubble Of Relief In Walled City By Mriganka Mishra   ·   The Times of India  ·  Page 5 A ground-level feature report on Delhi government's 'Cooling Zone' near Jama Masjid Metro Station, where residents of the historic Walled City neighbourhood are seeking relief from 45°C heat. The story documents the practical experience of people using the facility, examines infrastructure gaps and questions about sustainability, and captures voices of residents and local officials on the ground. The story goes beyond announcement journalism to test the on-ground reality of a government heat-relief initiative, using shoe-leather reporting in a high-vulnerability urban pocket and raising pointed infrastructure questions that official press releases would not surface. #2  ·  Number Theory  &mi