Image credit: Mathrubumi A row has erupted in Kerala’s media circles after journalists were allegedly asked to delete visuals of Vivek Kiran, son of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, during his family’s visit to the Guruvayur Temple on Monday evening. Devaswom officials reportedly stopped a media person from recording footage and instructed them to erase the material, sparking debate over transparency and press freedom, while journalists argued that documenting a public figure’s temple visit does not amount to wrongdoing Reji K P, President of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, called it a “highly contemptible and deplorable act,” and further added, “The Kerala Chief Minister is a person known for his stand against idol worship and religious practices. His son visiting the Guruvayur temple and performing poojas and making offerings in the midst of an election is definitely news. Assaulting journalists reporting this is not only against media freedom but also again

Given everything that’s been happening, we’re publishing a special mid-week edition of PReeps to cover all the latest PR and PR-related developments. Vanyer Media staffs up As Ricki Green reports in Campaign Brief today, VanyerMedia has announced a major expansion of its leadership team, appointing four senior specialists in response to the rapid shift of both consumer attention and marketing investment into social platforms. Elle Batchelor, previously with TikTok, has been appointed Director of Creative Partnerships. Sophie Tschuchnigg, previously with Akcelo, has been appointed Project Director. Belle Brown, previously with Howatson and Co., has been appointed Client Partner. And Nathan Bramley, previously with Hello, has been appointed Senior Account Director. Karen Coleman, Country Manager, VaynerMedia Australia, said, “These hires ensure we have the depth and capability to support our clients to keep pace with that shift [to social media] and win where

The Editors Guild of India (EGI), in collaboration with the India International Centre (IIC), hosted an offline conference on April 17, 2026, titled “Reimagining Journalism in the Time of AI”. The event opened with an introductory note by Sanjay Kapoor, President of EGI and Editor of Hardnews, followed by a keynote address from Siddharth Varadarajan, Founding Editor of The Wire, who spoke on the evolving impact of artificial intelligence on journalism and public discourse. Speakers included Sanket Upadhyay (Founder, Double Check), Pradeep Gairola (Chief Digital Business Officer, The Hindu), Nandagopal Rajan (CEO – Digital, The Indian Express), and Sonia Bhaskar (Public Information Integrity Consultant and Trainer). Sessions were moderated by Bilal Bhat, Editor at ETV Bharat. Discussions focused on how AI is reshaping newsrooms, editorial practices, verification processes, and the broader media ecosystem. The event brought together editors, journalists, and media

TechDay has appointed David Shilovsky as its Sydney-based Interviews Editor, starting April 28, Influencing can reveal. Shilovsky joins from The Roar, where he has worked as a sub-editor and journalist since November 2020. He has also held roles at Kick360 and Peninsula Living Magazine. His main focus “will be on attending the increasing number of in-person events we are invited to in Sydney. So conferences, roadshows, launch events and in-person interviews,” TechDay publisher Sean Mitchell told Influencing.  His appointment sees him become TechDay’s fourth Interview Editor. Australian Anthony Caruana and New Zealander Donovan Jackson were appointed earlier this year and Canadian Jake MacAndrew last year. Interview Editors focus on in-person or Zoom interviews. Mitchell is confident Shilovsky will strengthen his busy editorial team.  “This is fantastic for ensuring the crushing pace of today's newsroom doesn't swamp our lofty editorial g

Court cases often involve dirty laundry being publicly aired. That’s certainly how things are playing out with the Kyle and Jackie O bust-up, with salivating journos pouncing on evidence filed in Federal Court yesterday.   In today’s Daily Telegraph, Eliza Barr and Jonathan Moran report that Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a subsidiary of KIIS FM broadcaster ARN, filed documents detailing a dispute that occurred months before the pair’s spectacular on-air divorce. In September last year, Sandilands spoke “contemptuously” to Henderson during a segment. The bickering then continued off-air. According to CBC documents, Henderson said, “Kyle, that’s a bit rough, like f … en hell, I haven’t done anything to f … en cop it.” Sandilands allegedly replied, “You wanna know the truth, here’s the truth. Today’s the first day you’ve ever paid any attention or had to carry anyth

Claims that The Australian has embarked on a "sustained, coordinated media offensive" against Palestinian academic and author Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah have been slammed by columnist Janet Albrechtsen this morning. Last week, former ABC journalist and Ette Media co-founder Antoinette Lattouf teamed up with data analyst and mathematician Dr Richard Bean to conduct a quantitative analysis of The Australian's coverage of Abdel-Fattah. "The 30-month media blitz combined inflammatory language, saturation coverage, and relentless front-page placement—appearing designed to undermine her credibility, influence decision-makers, derail her career, and curb her advocacy for Palestinian human rights," said the Ette Media article detailing the findings. The analysis claimed that the academic was referenced 412 unique times, accounting for the "Nine newspapers, ABC News online, The Guardian, and Australian Community Media’s Canberra Times combined&

Budget lifeboat: sweeping NDIS overhaul to rein in costs The federal budget is being framed around major NDIS changes designed to curb runaway spending, with the government arguing the savings are essential to long-term fiscal repair. States are already warning Canberra not to “cost shift” any fallout, setting up a fresh Commonwealth–state fight over who pays for disability support. Covered by: The Australian, The West Australian, The Australian. AUKUS warning light: US submarine transfers “not a priority” Australia’s plan to acquire Virginia-class submarines under AUKUS has been thrown into uncertainty after the US Navy signalled the transfers are not its top priority amid production constraints. The story sharpens questions about capability gaps, timelines and whether Canberra needs contingency options as strategic competition in the region intensifies. Covered by: Sydney Morning Herald. Treasury breach shock: official charged over alleged mass