More than a decade after the Majithia Wage Board sought to standardise wages for working journalists, many media professionals say fair pay remains one of the biggest unresolved challenges in Indian journalism. While the recommendations, notified by the Centre in 2011 under the Working Journalists Act, were intended to improve salaries and working conditions, the media industry has since been transformed by digital newsrooms, independent media and freelance journalism. Yet no new national wage framework has emerged to reflect those changes. The issue has become more pressing as journalists increasingly navigate low salaries, delayed freelance payments and widening disparities across organisations, even as the profession demands more skills than ever before. Although the Working Journalists Act has since been subsumed under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, the debate over fair compensation remains unresolved. Industry salary estimates compiled by

The Chennai Press Club has strongly condemned the registration of a criminal case against senior journalist and Nakkheeran magazine editor Nakkheeran Gopal, calling it an attempt to suppress freedom of expression and intimidate the media. In a statement issued on Friday, the press club said the Chennai Cyber Crime Police had registered a case against Gopal under Sections 352, 353(1)(b), and 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) over comments he made about Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay during a YouTube interview. It noted that two of the charges are non-bailable. Describing Gopal as a fearless journalist with nearly four decades of experience, the press club said he has consistently exposed wrongdoing by those in power and upheld the principles of independent journalism by questioning authority without fear or favour. The organisation said filing a criminal case against a senior journalist over his views was not merely an action against an individual but a warning to th

The Bombay High Court on August 6, 2026, convicted former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 sexual assault case and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, The Hindu reported. A Division Bench of Justice Neela Gokhale and Justice Amit Jamsandekar overturned the 2021 trial court verdict acquitting Tejpal. The Bench called the earlier judgment "perverse," holding that the trial judge had wrongly expected the complainant to behave like a "perfect victim" to be considered credible. In its 81-page judgment, the Bench also said it was surprised the trial court remained silent while the defence "harassed and humiliated" the complainant during cross-examination. Tejpal has been directed to surrender within four weeks. The 2013 case The case dates to November 2013, when a young Tehelka journalist accused Tejpal of sexually assaulting her inside a lift at a hotel in Goa during the magazine's THiNK festival. The complainant was also a close friend of one of Tejpal's daugh

Friday, 7 August 2026 #1  ·  National  ·  In-depth feature FCRA bill debate likely on Aug 12: Mizoram CM By Smriti Kak Ramachandran, Neeraj Chauhan   ·   Hindustan Times Delhi  ·  Page 13 Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah accompanied by senior Christian leaders to raise six concerns about the proposed FCRA Amendment Bill 2026, and was assured the legislation would not apply retrospectively. The delegation submitted a memorandum flagging the ambiguity of the term 'proselytisation' in the bill and the provision allowing government takeover of assets built from foreign contributions if an organisation's FCRA licence lapses. The story details the Opposition's and church bodies' objections, the government's counter-clarifications, and the political dynamics with the session closing on August 13. The reporters secured on-record quotes from the Mizoram CM post-me

A reporter with Telugu news channel T News has alleged that he was assaulted while covering a clash near a welding workshop in Shamshabad on August 5, raising fresh concerns about the safety of journalists reporting from the ground. The incident occurred on Rallaguda–Narkhuda Road at around 2 pm after a dispute between workers and customers at a welding workshop reportedly escalated into violence. Speaking to Influencing, T News journalist Masood Khan said he reached the location after being alerted by another reporter. "I received a phone call from a fellow journalist informing me that a major incident had taken place and asking me to reach the spot immediately. When I arrived to cover the incident, I found that there had been a clash between two groups near a large welding shop. While I was recording videos of the scene and documenting the damage, I identified myself as a member of the media. Despite that, I was attacked by members of the two groups." Khan alleg

Joe Aston has reduced his stake in Rampart to 92 per cent Joe Aston’s Rampart could be valued close to $30 million after it took on five new investors in a $2.3 million transaction. The deal comes just 18 months into the media start-ups journey, with the former Australian Financial Review Rear Window columnist Aston launching the masthead in early 2025. The new investors include the former CEO of Nine Entertainment David Gyngell and long-time Packer family financial adviser Ashok Jacob. Aston said Rampart “didn’t need external capital to continue on its already steep trajectory as one of Australia’s fastest growing media brands”, however the investment received would allow it to be “turbocharge investment in Rampart’s journalism”. “I look forward to sharing our plans for that investment very soon, but broadly speaking it will mean new hires; new editorial verticals, events and podcasts; and improved technology – all congruous with our vision of producing deep

AFL concussion clause sparks integrity and duty-of-care storm Geelong has been forced to abandon a secret agreement that attempted to shift concussion-related legal liability onto a player, triggering condemnation from the AFLPA and alarm from medical and football figures. The episode intensifies scrutiny of how clubs manage head-injury risk and raises pressure on the AFL to disclose what it knew and tighten governance around player welfare. Covered by: Herald Sun, The Australian, The Age, The Advertiser. US “support framework” at HMAS Stirling reignites base debate The US has established a new military support framework at HMAS Stirling in WA, with about 2300 Americans involved to sustain ongoing submarine operations—despite government denials it amounts to a US base. The development is politically sensitive as Australia balances AUKUS-era deterrence planning with sovereignty concerns and public transparency about the scale of US presence. Covered by: The Austr