The media fraternity marked a sombre day with the passing of two noted personalities, Kamal Mishra in Mumbai and Kumar Bhaskarjyoti in Assam. In Mumbai, senior journalist Kamal Mishra, 56, associated with The Free Press Journal, passed away on Wednesday morning. Widely regarded as one of the city’s finest transport correspondents, Mishra extensively covered railways, state transport services, BEST buses, and the taxi network. Colleagues recalled his relentless commitment to ground reporting, often among the first to reach accident sites, even walking railway tracks to examine derailments firsthand. Meanwhile, in Assam, television host, radio jockey, writer, and cultural activist Kumar Bhaskarjyoti died at the age of 50. Known for his multifaceted contributions across media and literature, Bhaskarjyoti actively engaged audiences and promoted cultural discourse and social awareness, earning widespread recognition and respect across the state, India Today reported.

Two journalists were allegedly assaulted at Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College in Jharkhand's Hazaribagh after posing tough questions to state Health Minister Irfan Ansari, sparking outrage in the media fraternity and sharp criticism from the opposition. According to journalist Sushant Soni, tensions escalated when he asked about the Chatra air ambulance crash and delays in compensation to victims’ families. “The questions irked the minister’s supporters. While the minister remained quiet, his supporters started pushing me, used abusive language and tried to snatch my mobile. When I resisted, they began to hit me,” Soni told Influencing. Soni sustained injuries, while fellow journalist Ashish Sav from a local channel was “brutally assaulted”. Both were rescued by colleagues and taken to the hospital. They later filed a joint complaint, though an FIR had not been registered at the time of reporting. The incident, which occurred in the presence of the minister and police p

Thursday, 30 April 2026 #1  ·  Front Page  ·  Data story / In-depth feature FPI Exodus in Four Months of '26 Surpasses All of Last Year By Rachita Prasad, Prashant Mahesh   ·   The Economic Times  ·  Page 1 Foreign Portfolio Investors have pulled out more than ₹1.8 lakh crore from domestic equities in the first four months of 2026, already exceeding the total FPI outflows recorded in the entirety of 2025. The story contextualises the exodus against a backdrop of rupee depreciation, global risk-off sentiment, and rising oil prices, drawing connections to earnings pressure on Indian corporates. The piece marshals original data points across multiple asset classes and situates the FPI flight within a layered macro narrative, moving well beyond a simple data dump to explain causation and consequence for Indian markets. #2  ·  Smart Investing (Page 6)  ·  In-depth feature / Da

  After Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, Karnataka has now introduced a daily 10-minute newspaper reading session in schools, making it a mandatory practice in an effort to rebuild reading habits among students. The move follows a similar initiative by Uttar Pradesh in December 2025 and Rajasthan in January 2026  and comes at a time when educators and media bodies have flagged a steady decline in reading, particularly in a mobile-first environment. While the move has been generally welcomed across the board, with the media industry in India heavily polarised, this new trend raises serious questions on which newspapers should children be made to read and who gets to decide that. The Karnataka Union of Working Journalists, which had pushed for such a measure, welcomed the decision as a timely intervention. Speaking to Influencing, KUWJ State President Shivanand Tagadur, said, “Traditional practices such as reading aloud, writing on classroom boards, and sharing updates on not

Strong relationships and a clear understanding of journalists’ needs are at the core of Bass PR founder David Bass’s media relations approach. David Bass [Left] with Influencing CEO Phil Sim [Right] He talked about his approach and how it came about after winning the Best Media Relations (B2B) award for client David Hellaby at the 24th Samsung Australian IT Journalism Awards.  Bass was one of three winners of the award. Other winners of the award included Nintendo’s Clare Corbel (Overall and Gaming) and WellAbove’s Salvatore Di Muccio (B2C). Bass said a conversation he had several years ago with The Register’s Simon Sharwood had shaped his thinking. Sharwood asked why his readers should care about a client’s business and what difference it would make to them. “When we meet with clients they claim that they've got lots of stories to tell,” Bass told Influencing.  “But often they can't back it up with good da

Confiance Communications has been named strategic communications partner for Libertario Coffee India, a globally rooted specialty coffee brand bringing a hospitality-driven cafe experience to the Indian market. Under the partnership, Confiance Communications will develop a unified brand narrative in India, focusing on Libertario’s heritage, hospitality format, and growing presence. The aim is to strengthen visibility in business and lifestyle media and position it as a premium, culturally relevant cafe brand. As Libertario expands in Delhi NCR and plans a multi-city presence, communications efforts will also highlight its expansion vision, founder story, and investor ecosystem engagement. The partnership aims to build an authentic, experience-led global-to-local coffee narrative in India.

Herald Sun Inflation hits 4.6% as petrol shock puts rates back on the table A surprise lift in annual inflation to 4.6%—driven largely by fuel prices linked to the Iran conflict—has sharpened expectations of another Reserve Bank rate rise and intensified pressure on the government ahead of the May budget. The coverage highlights the policy squeeze: households brace for mortgage pain while Canberra is warned against adding spending that could entrench inflation. Covered by: Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian, The West Australian, Courier Mail, The Advertiser. Budget energy-security pivot: fuel reserves boosted, gas tax ruled out The government is preparing to spend billions to expand Australia’s long-term fuel reserves, framing it as a national resilience move as global conflict lifts energy risks. At the same time, Anthony Albanese has ruled out a new gas tax, arguing it could jeopardise access to emergency supplies—