S.R. Praveen, principal correspondent at The Hindu’s Thiruvananthapuram bureau, has been named Best Reporter (English print media) at the Swaraj Media Award 2026. The jury recognised his feature “How Kerala Eradicated Extreme Poverty” for its depth and impact. The award includes a cash prize of Rs 25,000, along with a citation and memento. The winners were announced by Kerala Minister for Local Self-Governments M. B. Rajesh at a press conference on Monday, highlighting the role of journalism in documenting social change and public policy.

Kalli Purie, Vice‑Chairperson and Executive Editor‑in‑Chief of the India Today Group, on Monday called for fairness, accountability, and reciprocity in the use of Artificial Intelligence in journalism, unveiling a nine‑point charter at the AI Impact Summit. Speaking at a session organised by the Digital News Publishers Association, Purie warned that unchecked AI could distort public discourse if journalism is reduced to raw material for large language models without safeguards. “Fair value for journalistic content is non‑negotiable,” she stressed, demanding transparency in how AI systems use news. Her charter calls for: 1) Fair value for journalistic content with transparency on AI usage 2) Traceability and attribution as democratic principles 3) Recognition of journalism as a public good 4) Rewarding stories that deliver social impact 5) Real valuation of verified content from credible institutions 6) Severe penalties for AI hallucinations 7) Eq

Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   Come winter, the country gets slammed with festivals celebrating the arts, cinema and literature. Beginning with the International Film Festival of India that typically happens in November to the various literary festivals that have now mushroomed all over the country from remote hilly areas like Wayanad to the mother-of-all-lit fests, the Jaipur Literature Festival, that usually takes place sometime in January-February, there is a festival to suit everyone's artistic taste and style these days. If one were to go by the media reports that have appeared so far this week, yet another festival has been added to this long list and this one is dedicated to journalism. The Global Festival of Journalism and AVGC Noida 2026 opened with much fanfare on Monday, according to media reports, most of which came with a disclaimer that the media houses were in no way responsible for the authenticity of the published content. Pleasantly surprised at finally

TechDay has welcomed back Anthony Caruana and Donovan Jackson to the outlet, where the two journalists are Interview Editors.  Both will work in a part-time capacity and replace Melania Watson, who has joined media publication B&T as senior reporter. Caruana told Influencing he was pleased to rejoin TechDay, with the opportunity offered after a chat with TechDay Publisher Sean Mitchell.  “Sean mentioned to me, knowing I was finishing up with Media-Wize, it would be nice to have you back on board, and it just happened. “It's very well organised… They've got a great toolkit behind the scenes, and I'm pretty excited to be working in an environment that's so switched on and modern.” Jackson also said he was very excited to be rejoining the masthead.  “To rejoin is great because Sean's built a fantastic business there, and a fantastic team. He runs a very tight ship with a high level of automation, and he places a high level of trust in his people.   “I’m loo

A woman journalist covering a protest at Delhi University’s North Campus was allegedly attacked during a clash between rival student groups on Friday afternoon. The protest was held in support of the University Grants Commission’s equity regulations.  Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad claimed left-wing activists attacked the reporter after she questioned protesters, and demanded police action. In response, All India Students’ Association said right-wing students also assaulted its members, claiming its DU secretary was hurt while stepping in to help the journalist.  According to the Times of India, the group also claimed police failed to intervene as students attempted to register a complaint. Police said the journalist’s medico-legal case has been registered and confirmed an investigation is underway. Authorities stated legal action will be taken based on the outcome of the probe. 

Picture Credit: Australia India News  Senior journalist and author Harish Chandra Burnwal was awarded a PhD on Sunday for his research analysing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme and its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The doctorate was conferred by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J. P. Nadda during the convocation ceremony of Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies in Faridabad, Haryana. Burnwal’s dissertation studied 53 episodes aired between 2014 and 2019, examining how themes such as sanitation, education, women’s empowerment, health and environmental awareness were communicated through the broadcast. The study noted sanitation as the most frequently discussed topic, followed by education and women’s empowerment. According to the institute, the research is the first academic attempt to statistically link the SDGs with the PM’s radio outreach and is expected to benefit student

  Journalist Ravi Nair on Friday secured bail after a magisterial court in Mansa, Gandhinagar district, suspended his February 10 conviction in a criminal defamation case, enabling him to approach the Sessions court with an appeal within a month. Nair had moved an application seeking suspension of the sentence, which the court allowed. The stay on the conviction will remain in effect for one month, till March 11. Earlier, on February 10, the same court had convicted Nair of criminal defamation based on a complaint filed by Adani Enterprises Ltd. The case relates to a series of social media posts made between October 2020 and July 2021, along with articles published on a website, which the company alleged were defamatory, The Indian Express reported.