DataBeings’ 15-week viewership analysis has revealed intense competition among India’s top news channels across multiple languages, with different players dominating key time slots and events. In Hindi news, Times Now Navbharat led the chart for seven weeks as the most-watched channel, with Aaj Tak following closely, securing the top spot three times and second place eight times. On the day of the Union Budget (1 February), Aaj Tak, Bharat 24, and India TV led various key slots. During the Delhi election results on 8 February, Aaj Tak topped four time slots, while India TV held two during counting hours. In English-language news, Firstpost led for six weeks, ANI for five, and CNN-News18 for three. India Today topped live views during the Budget in the 11 am–1 pm window, with Republic World and CNN-News18 close behind. For the Delhi election coverage, NDTV led three time slots, CNN-News18 two, and India Today one. TV9 Marathi maintained a commanding lead among Marathi chann

In the political minefield where India-US diplomacy plays out like a high-stakes feature film, JD Vance’s recent India visit had all the makings of a blockbuster—big stars, packed schedule, strategic dialogue, but so far it felt more like a teaser trailer than the main event. We'll tell you why. The stage was set: JD Vance, US Vice President, landed in Delhi on April 21, fresh from his Italy stopover, to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both sides talked trade, bilateral agreement, tariff woes, tech partnerships and investment ecosystems. Yet, despite the photo-ops and press statements, the main act--the actual trade deal--remained in the can. Hot off the Press The US Veep, on his first official visit to India as US Vice President, met PM Modi in Delhi on April 21 for talks focused on the stalled India-US Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA). Both sides issued near-identical statements about “significant progress” and “shared vision,” as reported by Hemani Bhandari for t

Thomas Coughlan.   Over the pond in New Zealand, former Stuff journalist Thomas Coughlan will become political editor for the NZ Herald, as long-serving press gallery journalist Claire Trevett bows out. Trevett’s 18-year tenure at the press gallery, a group of reporters based in the Parliament, was celebrated this week. Most recently political editor for NZME masthead, Trevett has taken voluntary redundancy offered by the company as part of a newsroom restructure which saw 30 jobs axed.   A farewell party for Trevett was attended by NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Labour leader Chris Hipkins, and NZ First leader Winston Peters, among many others. Finance Minister Nicola Willis moved a motion in the House on Thursday afternoon to mark the occasion. Trevett’s deputy, Coughlan, has been appointed political editor in her place. Coughlan was a senior political reporter for Stuff, including its masthead The Post, before joining the NZ Herald in 2021.

As the world marks the 55th Earth Day, a growing number of Indian journalists are bringing environmental stories to the forefront, once considered a niche beat, now an essential one. From coastal conservation to mining exposés, their work is not only shaping public discourse but also helping trigger action. On this World Earth Day, Influencing India spoke with journalists who echo the spirit of fictional characters, real-life journos whose mission to protect the environment is truly eye-opening. “The environment beat used to be sidelined, but now everything health, development, water is linked to it,” said S. V. Krishna Chaitanya, Associate Editor at The New Indian Express. Known for his in-depth coverage of ocean conservation, Chaitanya highlighted the increasing relevance of climate stories, despite the challenges and threats that often accompany them. “Once you take up the environment, everything is a story. A strong story requires a solid source, data and a quote. Most

The US Justice Department (DOJ) wants to force Google to sell the Chrome browser as part of a remedy for its illegal search monopoly in a move that would undermine its control over search defaults and first-party data collection. A story in the Wall Street Journal posted yesterday, revealed the DOJ began arguing for the forced sale on Monday, US time, to the judge who last year made the momentous decision that Google had in fact built an illegal monopoly in search. Judge Amit Mehta is now hearing three weeks of arguments about remedies for that monopoly. The DOJ submissions also include an end to search default deals that see Google paying billions to the makers of other browsers and devices, and opening up access to some of its data. “This court has an opportunity to remedy a monopoly that has controlled the internet for today’s generation and restore competition for decades to come,” DOJ lawyer David Dahlquist told the court, according to a report in the Wall Street Journ

4Square Media’s latest hire, journalist Joe Gallop, says working as a journalist is different every day, and that’s a big part of the reason he loves the industry.    “Back in school, I was more interested in English and writing, and journalism seemed the natural path for me. I’m also a strong believer in the cliche that there are no two days the same as a journalist. There's a lot of variety, and being a journalist requires a lot of energy.   “As well, I think subconsciously, having a father who had a background in journalism inspired me to get into the media industry.”   Gallop’s father was one of the many influences on his career choice.    “There’s no nepotism, but my father has given me some great advice and contacts throughout my career so far.    “As well, studying at university, I had some really good lecturers and mentors who gave me good advice. And then, since I’ve transitioned into my career, I've been lucky enough to have some real

  Thy is an AI host on Sydney's CADA station   The Australian Radio Network (ARN) is facing backlash after revealing that ‘Thy’ a weekday hip-hop host on Sydney’s CADA station, is an AI-generated persona, one modelled on an employee believed to be from the network’s finance department. The Fin's Media and Marketing Reporter Sam Buckingham-Jones had the story just before Easter and Mediaweek writer Natasha Lee followed this morning, with both writers revealing Thy was created in partnership with overseas voice cloning giant ElevenLabs and has been broadcasting four-hour segments on digital radio for approximately six months without any disclosure that she is artificial. Lee reports that journalist Stephanie Coombes was the first to voice concerns in her newsletter, The Carpet, highlighting what she says is, “the troubling irony of the network seemingly showcasing an Asian presenter who turns out to be an AI creation”. Coombes questioned the decision-making process