A Gujarat court sentencing independent investigative journalist Ravi Nair to one year in prison in a criminal case for defamation brought by Adani Enterprises Limited has once again brought to the limelight the blurring of a clear distinction between what constitutes defamation, especially when it concerns public interest journalism. The one-year prison sentence handed down to him on 10 February was a result of a series of 17 posts published by the independent investigative journalist between October 2020 and July 2021 on the social media platform X. The posts in question merely shared media articles, including four of his own investigations, notably published on Adani Watch, the news site specialising in investigations into the Indian conglomerate. This information was already in the public domain and only new content was the journalist’s comments on them. In a strongly worded statement, Célia Mercier, head of the RSF South Asia Desk pointed out how the ca

Image credit: The News Minute  Digital news platform The News Minute (TNM) marked its 12th anniversary on February 21 with a special episode of its podcast South Central, bringing together former and current members of the newsroom. Hosted by Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna, the episode reflected on TNM’s journey from its modest beginnings to becoming an established digital newsroom. The discussion traced how TNM started as a one-room operation with a reporter and an intern and gradually grew into a newsroom known for its focus on caste, gender, power, and culture. Several editors and reporters joined the conversation, sharing memories of TNM’s early days and how its editorial approach evolved over the years. Speakers spoke about the development of a dedicated breaking news desk, the shift towards explainers and deep-dive journalism, and the newsroom’s emphasis on accuracy over speed. The discussion also highlighted TNM’s coverage of major stories from southern India

ABP Network will host the fifth edition of its flagship Ideas of India Summit 2026 on February 27–28 in Mumbai. The two-day event, themed “The New World Order,” will bring together national and international leaders, policymakers, industry experts, and cultural figures to discuss India’s role in an evolving global landscape. The summit will be held offline while also being broadcast across the network’s platforms for wider audience access.  The discussions will span politics, business, technology, society, and culture, focusing on India’s vision and influence in a rapidly changing world. Confirmed speakers include Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, former NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant, spiritual leader Gauranga Das, author and MP Shashi Tharoor, singer Shreya Ghoshal, and University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer.  Over the years, the Ideas of India Summit has evolved into a key th

Aaj Tak has introduced its next-generation ePaper, vPaper, in collaboration with Dailyhunt. Created for digital-first users, the 12-page free ePaper reaches readers even before printed newspapers each morning. It offers curated coverage across business, sports, education, travel, national affairs, and more. Its key feature is click-to-watch content that allows readers to instantly view video versions of stories within the layout. According to Adgully, Salil Kumar of the India Today Group described it as a reimagined morning news experience, while Sunil Mohapatra of Dailyhunt said the platform blends traditional reading with interactive digital storytelling.

Monday, 23 February, 2026 | On Thursday, this Epitomist ran through the discussion on AI and copyright concerns as Minister Andrew Charlton was set to meet Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, in part to discuss a push for local data centre investment.  Couple that with OpenAI’s $7bn data centre investment in Sydney, and you have two big tech companies talking big about AI, with suggestions Australia could miss out on billions of dollars if copyright laws aren't changed to allow the LLMs to train using local data on Aussie creativity, which could include yours, mine, and everybody’s else’s creative work.   Yet perhaps such claims are a false narrative, with The Fin’s Amelia McGuire and Michael Read over the weekend reporting on the latest comments made by the Head of the Australian Recording Industry Association, Annabelle Herd,who said claims made by the big tech companies that Aussie copyright laws are outdated were simply not true.   

After what by any standards is an outstanding 39-year career, Michael Rowland has made the decision to leave the ABC, with this week being his last. Michael joined the ABC in Sydney in February 1987 as a radio news cadet and went on to work in a variety of roles over the years, including reporting on state and federal politics and being Lateline’s Economics Correspondent.  From 2005-2009 Michael was an ABC Washington Correspondent, covering the election of Barack Obama, the David Hicks case at Guantanamo Bay and the Global Financial Crisis. He has been back to the US to help anchor ABC coverage of the last four Presidential elections.  Returning to Melbourne he became co-presenter of ABC News Breakfast in June 2010. The program had been on air around 18 months and Michael became a key figure in its success, a familiar and trusted face for viewers each morning for the next 15 years. After leaving the program in December 2024 he filled in present

Welcome to another week and today's roundup of the news. Let's start this morning with The Guide - which comes with The Sydney Morning Herald today - because it's a bit of a curious beast. The Guide covers Free TV, Streaming, Movies and Listings and it's got some decent featurettes, including one by Farz Edraki ('These shows are the strangest ever made') which takes a look at the history of some of the strangest reality TV shows there have ever been. Edraki begins by saying, ""Reality TV has always been unhinged, but at the turn of the century it was truly bonkers". I couldn't have put it better myself, and Edraki has put together a fine piece of writing on some of those shows. Personally I think all reality TV is strange and moronic but obviously I'm in the minority as these sorts of brainless but possibly also harmless types of TV are compelling for very many people. What I find most bizarre about The