Journalist, media consultant and academic Garima Dutt has passed away suddenly. She had served as an Assistant Professor at the Delhi School of Journalism. Colleagues and peers remembered her as thoughtful, articulate and deeply engaged with the profession. Many recalled conversations with her on the evolving Indian media landscape, noting her commitment to critical reflection and dialogue. Her passing has left a void in both journalism and academia, where she was admired for her insight and dedication.  

Veteran journalist and former Press Trust of India Regional Manager S Ramasamy passed away on Sunday. Affectionately known as ‘SR’ in journalistic and PTI circles, Ramasamy joined the national news agency in 1978 and served for nearly three decades. During his career, he extensively covered major political parties in Tamil Nadu, including the DMK and AIADMK. He was known for maintaining strong personal rapport with many of the state’s prominent political leaders of earlier decades.

  Abdul Rashid Shah, a veteran journalist and Chief Editor of the Urdu daily Nidai Mashriq, passed away in Srinagar early on Saturday. A prominent figure in Kashmiri Urdu journalism, Shah began his career as an Information Officer with the Jammu and Kashmir Department of Information and Public Relations. In the early 1990s, amid rising insurgency in the region, he resigned from government service to devote himself fully to journalism. According to Good Morning Kashmir, Shah was earlier associated with Al-Safa News, which was then among the most widely circulated newspapers in the Valley. After leaving his government post, he went on to establish Nidai Mashriq.  

The 15th edition of the Journalists’ Sports Meet 2026 organised by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union concluded on March 5 after five days of competitions, with The Sangai Express emerging as the overall team champion. Influencing India earlier reported that the event began on March 3 at the Manipur Press Club with a ceremonial torch relay from Kangla Fort and aimed to promote camaraderie among media professionals. Competitions were held in athletics, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, chess, cricket and football. The Sangai Express secured seven gold medals to win the title. SKTv finished second with five gold medals, while Media Unified secured third place. The Sangai Express also won the football final against Media Unified, Imphal Times reported.

Shankar, a reporter with Republic TV, cameraperson Mani and boat driver Radhakrishnan were arrested on Saturday for allegedly entering a restricted high security zone near Kochi port to film an Iranian naval vessel. According to police, the trio used a rented boat to enter the Southern Coal Berth area, where they reportedly filmed and photographed the Iranian ship IRIS Lavan, which docked at the port earlier this week. Security personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force noticed the boat in the prohibited zone and detained them before handing them over to the Harbour Police in Kochi, Scroll reported.

Stories shape how societies understand power, identity and progress. In today’s rapidly evolving media ecosystem, women are not merely participating in those narratives, they are increasingly directing them. Across journalism, publishing, and public relations, women are building platforms, guiding brand communication, and shaping policy conversations through storytelling. From independent media ventures to global advocacy campaigns, their work reflects a growing shift: influence in the media landscape is no longer limited to traditional newsrooms. To explore how women are redefining storytelling across journalism and communications, Influencing India spoke to journalists, editors, publishers, and PR professionals whose work spans advocacy reporting, digital media, and brand communication. Their experiences reveal how storytelling is evolving -- becoming more accountable, more inclusive, and more deeply connected to the realities people live every day. Storytelling, Credibil

The Press Media Editors and Journalists Association has written to Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, seeking immediate distribution of the state’s pending journalism awards.  According to HelloMumbai, Association president Gorakh Taware said that although the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations announced award winners for 2019–2023, the felicitation ceremony has not yet been held, leaving recipients waiting for years.  The association has urged the government to organise the award ceremony soon and recognise journalists across categories, including the Atal Bihari Vajpayee National Journalism Award, to maintain the morale of the media fraternity.