Despite official claims of 86 per cent tap water coverage by the PIB, villages in Tripura continue to depend on natural springs for their daily water needs. During her reporting in Dhalai district, independent journalist Nidhi Jamwal found taps installed without pipelines and water networks that existed largely on paper. In reality, residents relied entirely on springs, with women bearing the brunt as sources dried up and distances to fetch water increased.  Jamwal says empowering and supporting rural journalists is critical to exposing the gap between policy and lived reality, allowing neglected communities to raise concerns before crises deepen.  Journalists reporting from rural areas say many such stories remain invisible. Rural journalism extends far beyond agriculture, encompassing classrooms without teachers, clinics without medicines, caste-based exclusion, and villages waiting years for basic services. These reports may rarely trend online, but they point to long-

Image source: EGI, Business Standard; Edited by Pragadish Kirubakaran   The torching of Bangladesh’s leading media houses last week drew a rare and blunt response from the Editors Guild of India, which called the violence a “serious and deadly escalation” against press freedom in South Asia. In a December 23 statement from New Delhi, the Guild condemned mob attacks, vandalism, and arson targeting journalists and newsrooms, including the burning of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star, and the assault on Nurul Kabir, editor of New Age and president of the Editors’ Council. It urged the Muhammad Yunus–led interim government to act immediately to protect journalists, punish attackers, and stop what it warned was a fast-normalising cycle of intimidation and violence. The violence followed the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a radical youth leader linked to the Inqilab Mancha platform, who died in Singapore after being shot in Dhaka. Protests quickly turn

The Tripura Journalists’ Union staged a silent protest at the Agartala Press Club on December 22, condemning recent attacks on journalists, media offices and minority communities in Bangladesh. As a symbolic gesture, participants covered their mouths with black cloth. The union demanded the release of detained journalists, reconstruction of damaged media offices and assurances of safety for press workers to operate freely, Tripura Chronicles reported.  

WPP has secured Jaguar Land Rover’s integrated global agency mandate following a nine‑month review, in one of the year’s most closely contested pitches, Campaign reported. The automaker has entered a period of exclusivity with WPP for marketing services across its four core brands — Defender, Discovery, Jaguar and Range Rover. Incumbent agency Accenture Song will remain on the account until mid‑2026, allowing time for transition and negotiations ahead of a first‑quarter deadline. In a significant expansion, WPP’s remit also includes media planning and buying, which was not part of the original creative and marketing review.

Patna — Communications firm PR Professionals (PRP) has been appointed as the public relations partner for Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited (BSPHCL). The mandate covers strategic communications, media relations and outreach for BSPHCL and its subsidiaries, highlighting reforms and public-facing initiatives in the state’s power sector. PRP Founder and MD Dr. Sarvesh Kumar Tiwari said the partnership reflects growing trust in the agency’s sector expertise. Sunil Pandey, Head – Bihar, noted PRP’s long-standing work with government departments in the state made the BSPHCL mandate a natural progression. The appointment follows PRP’s recent additions of Goldi Solar and Premier Energies to its client portfolio, further strengthening its presence in the energy and power sector. PRP’s past assignments include work with the Ministry of Power, NHPC, REC, Power Finance Corporation, Maharashtra State Power Generation Company, and several clean e

Image designed by Dinesh Raj M   Last week, Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj completed 1000 days in prison under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. An X post from the Journalist Federation of Kashmir which continues to voice out for him called his detention "unjust" and reiterated their demand for his immediate release. The association also highlighted how it is a reflection of the larger state of press freedom and civil liberties in Jammu and Kashmir. Irfan Mehraj from Srinagar is not just any local journalist. His works have appeared in prestigious publications like Deutsche Welle and The Caravan. He has also received the Human Rights and Religious Freedom Journalism Award in 2024 for his work on the heroin epidemic in Kashmir when he was already in jail. And, it would not be too off the mark to expand this situation across the rest of the country. Journalists across India today have the choice of towing the government's official line an

Ethane Web Technologies has unveiled PR Companion, an all-in-one public relations platform designed to integrate traditional media relations with modern digital storytelling. The site offers services including crisis communication support, digital storytelling, media relations, strategic communication planning, and press release distribution, aiming to help brands strengthen visibility and manage reputation. Founder and CEO Lalit Sharma said the platform reflects the company’s belief that “every brand has a story to tell” and is built for the future with AI-driven insights and seamless digital integration. With over 15 years of experience serving thousands of brands, Ethane Web Technologies positions PR Companion as a one-stop destination for comprehensive PR solutions.