When the COVID-19 pandemic cost many journalists their jobs, Dr. Nandini K.L. had offers from newspapers and television channels. She chose to build something of her own instead. Five years on, her independent outlet, Digital Maadhyama, has taken her into Karnataka's villages, historical sites and border regions. Recently, the Karnataka Tourism Department presented her with its Video Creator Award 2026 for documenting the state's history, heritage, culture and tourism through digital media. The award was given at a ceremony organised by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru. "When COVID happened, many people lost their jobs. Even though I got job offers from other newspapers and channels, I thought, 'What next? What if I lose a job again? What can I build on my own?'" she said. That question led to Digital Maadhyama, which she launched in 2021. Nandini joined Vijaya Karnataka in 2014, soon after completing her

For years, one of the biggest advantages of large metropolitan newsrooms was the infrastructure required to turn reporting into publishable content at scale. Editing, translation, research, video production, design and distribution often involved specialised teams and technology. Generative AI is beginning to alter that equation. For Indian-language journalism, however, the technology could have a particularly visible effect on reach. AI-assisted translation and content adaptation can allow reporting from smaller cities and regional newsrooms to reach audiences beyond its original language or geography. The possibilities extend to languages with limited digital publishing resources: a UNESCO report on mother-tongue and multilingual education documented an Indian example involving an AI news anchor delivering news in Gondi, alongside digital content in Gondi, Kolami, Hindi and English. UNESCO report on mother-tongue and multilingual education Yet the parts of journalism that depen

A photograph of the Ajanar River in Madhya Pradesh, showing a once-polluted stretch cleared of waste, circulated widely on social media in recent weeks. The person behind it was Bittu Tabahi, a 20-year-old from Biaora in Rajgarh district. He had been cleaning the river and posting updates on Instagram long before the image drew wide attention, Local Samosa reported. He also uses his account to raise questions about schools and roads in the area, reporting in the local language with a basic phone and a pair of earphones that double as a microphone. In Mumbai, Chaitali Doshi, 44, has been visiting public schools around Kandivali and photographing their condition as a volunteer with the #SchoolThikKaro campaign. Her pictures from a BMC school in Gulalwadi showed part of the premises being used by police personnel, apparently as a temporary dormitory. The police were later moved out, according to Local Samosa. Their work is part of a wider shift in how local issues reach the public. Re

Wednesday, 30 September 2026 #1  ·  Times Nation / Politics & Policy  ·  In-depth feature K'taka challenges HC order for SIT probe into KPSC job 'scams' By Dhananjay Mahapatra   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page Page 12 The Karnataka government moved the Supreme Court challenging a high court order constituting an SIT to probe two tainted KPSC recruitment tests — one involving the selection of the KPSC chairman's daughter and another in which bribes of up to Rs 80 lakh were allegedly demanded for veterinary officer posts. The state argued that a fresh SIT probe would jeopardise existing CID investigations, potentially invalidating critical evidence already gathered including seized OMR sheets, frozen funds and arrested accused. The bench of CJI Surya Kant heard the state's plea for a stay on the HC directive. Dhananjay Mahapatra brings sharp legal-beat expertise, clearly la

RBA lifts rates to a 15-year high — and rejects Labor’s inflation blame game The Reserve Bank has pushed the cash rate to 4.6 per cent, warning more hikes may be needed, and explicitly pointed to domestic capacity pressures rather than overseas conflict as the key inflation driver. That sharpens the political stakes for Treasurer Jim Chalmers and the Albanese government, with multiple papers framing the decision as a direct rebuttal of Labor’s public messaging and a fresh hit to household budgets. Covered by: Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian, The West Australian, Herald Sun, The Advertiser. Cost-of-living crunch deepens as economists warn: more pain may be “needed” Beyond the headline hike, the coverage turns to what comes next: analysts argue inflation is proving sticky even as growth weakens, meaning avoiding further rises could require harsher outcomes like higher unemployment and falling property prices. P

Pradesh 24 Gujarati Editor-in-Chief and CEO Rahul Singh has clarified the context behind a video circulating on social media showing VHP leader Jwalit Mehta visiting the channel’s newsroom and presenting trishuls to women television anchors. The video was part of the Hindutva organisation’s Trishul Deeksha project. Singh, in a post on X, said the video was being shared without context and was being falsely linked to the 2002 Gujarat riots. According to Singh, the woman seen in the video is 20-year-old anchor Piya Gadhvi, who was subjected to a coordinated cyberbullying campaign after reporting on self-styled godman and convicted murderer Rampal. Singh said Gadhvi received thousands of abusive calls and that one person allegedly threatened to create and circulate AI-generated nude images of her. He clarified that the trishul was presented in the newsroom after the threats as a symbolic gesture of solidarity with Gadhvi. “You may agree or disagree with the symbol

Journalists in Khatima have urged the Uttarakhand government to expedite the construction of the proposed Press Club building. Led by Khatima Press Club president Hari Narayan Agarwal, a group of journalists submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday, seeking immediate instructions to start the construction. Speaking with Influencing India, Agarwal said, “A plot for the Press Club building has been allotted by the state government. However, construction has not yet started. Hence, we have given a letter to the CM, demanding that the construction be started soon.” Gorakhnath, Mustaqeem Malik, Deepak Phulera, Sunil Saini, Sapan Rai, Paramjit Singh Pamma, and Sundar Bahadur were present.