When a Kerala journalist asked a BJP candidate a question she couldn't answer during the election campaign, the response wasn't a rebuttal. It was abuse. And this is not an isolated case, from West Bengal to Tamil Nadu, reporters covering the ongoing Assembly elections say the ground reality has shifted noticeably. Shamna K, a journalist with Malayalam news channel Big TV, recently took to Facebook, alleging she had received abusive messages, including misogynistic remarks and threats after questioning BJP candidate Sobha Surendran at a press conference over an alleged cash-for-votes controversy in Palakkad.  Shamna had asked whether the woman seen on camera handing out cash, dressed in a white churidar, was associated with Surendran. When the candidate failed to provide a clear response, she ended the press conference. The abuse followed shortly after. Shamna filed a complaint with police, submitting screenshots as evidence, and said the attacks would not deter her. "The more th

Image of the Day:   Friday, 24 April 2026 The Times of India #1  ·  Times City  ·  Investigative When System Falters, Trust Fills Gap: Delays, Poor Follow-Ups In Police Verification Of Domestic Workers Prompt Many To Take Short-Cuts By Devanshi Mehta, Khushi Bhat   ·   The Times of India  ·  Page 5 An investigative feature examining how the police verification system for domestic workers in Delhi is riddled with delays, poor follow-ups, and procedural gaps that force both employers and agencies to rely on informal trust networks instead. The story draws on multiple sources including resident welfare associations, domestic worker welfare bodies, a former police officer, and affected residents, and includes a step-by-step explainer on how the verification process is supposed to work versus how it actually functions. The story combines ground-level testimonies, institutional voices, and a former cop's c

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed stricter disclosure rules for AI‑generated content under amendments to the Information Technology Rules, 2021. The draft requires AI labels to remain visible throughout the entire duration of the content, replacing the earlier norm of only prominent display. The amendment to Rule 3 mandates platforms and intermediaries to keep synthetic content labels clearly on screen at all times, Best Media Info reported. The move is aimed at tackling deepfakes and misleading content, ensuring greater transparency for users. MeitY has also extended the deadline for stakeholder comments to May 7, 2026, building on consultation papers issued on March 30 and April 10.  

“It’s like winning an Oscar at the PR Oscars,” says WellAbove PR’s Salvatore Di Muccio, who was the B2C winner of the David Hellaby Best Media Relations category at this year’s Lizzies.  “I don't really have the words to tell you how much it means to me. Mainly because this is an award, nominated and voted for by the journalists themselves,” he told Influencing.  Di Muccio was one of three winners in this category. BassPR’s David Bass (B2B) and Claire Corbel of Nintendo (gaming and overall winner) also won the award.  It’s Di Muccio’s third win in the category as well. He’d previously won in 2019 and 2024. He was also highly commended in 2021, 2022 and 2025. He said his approach is all about service and quality.  “Every day I try to be better than the day before. I try to give my clients and journalists the best possible service. “Underpinning all of that is loving what I do. I love to try to make things better and create good stories”.  Di Muc

SBS’s Veronica Lenard has won the Alicia Camphuisen Best New Journalist category at this year’s Samsung Australian IT journalist awards.  Lenard (Right) with Watterson's Oisin O'Callaghan.  Lenard’s award-winning reporting included “The 24-year-old rule that lets politicians use your data however they want”, “The way you use social media will change soon — but it's still not clear how,” and “A parent’s guide to help teens adjust to social media age restrictions.”  After her first win at the Lizzies, Lenard said, “Thank you so much to everyone at SBS, who’s been so welcoming and lovely to me as I’ve started. “Thank you to all the people who made me want to be a tech journalist, many of whom are in the room right now. Thank you to all the people who have helped me start to get there. Thank you!” Lenard’s Winning Entries: The way you use social media wil

Embattled media proprieter Antony Catalano has put his lawyers onto The Herald Sun claiming his privacy was breached while attending a rehab facility alongside a News Corp reporter, The Age has reported. The Age's Cameron Houston has revealed that Catalano alleges that a News Corp journalist was secretly compiling information on his stay while also an inpatient at the same rehabilitation facility. Houston wrote: "Catalano alleges the journalist, who this masthead has chosen not to name because of their ongoing health issues, also tipped off a photographer when the pair briefly left the hospital on April 13 on an approved trip to buy cigarettes at a nearby 7-Eleven". News Corp has strenuously denied the allegation. “The reporter was in the facility to seek treatment for ongoing health issues and was not working while on medical leave. Any allegations of a breach of privacy are completely false and our reporter’s wellbeing is our priority,” the

GST expansion hits aged-care residents The Albanese government has extended GST to some aged-care living fees, a change critics say will push up costs for older Australians already under financial pressure. The move is politically sensitive because it looks like a quiet broadening of the tax base, and it lands amid wider debates about fairness between generations and the sustainability of health and care spending. Covered by: The Australian. NDIS “tough love” reforms sharpen focus on autism eligibility Proposed changes would introduce IQ, cognition and social-communication testing for some people with autism and developmental delays to keep NDIS access, signalling a tougher approach to eligibility. It underscores the government’s attempt to rein in ballooning costs, but raises high-stakes questions about equity, assessment accuracy and how disability support is defined. Covered by: The Australian, Australian Financial Review, Australian Financial Review. Bondi a