A 35-year-old former journalist was arrested in Bengaluru on Monday for allegedly attempting to extort Rs 15 lakh from three police inspectors following a recent drug seizure by Maharashtra’s Anti-Narcotics Task Force, Bengaluru City Police, and the Narcotics Control Bureau. The accused, Sharath Sharma Kalagaru of Windsor Layout, is alleged to have demanded Rs 5 lakh each from inspectors Chethan Kumar, Ramakrishna Reddy, and Srinivas, claiming he had evidence linking them to drug peddlers. According to the FIR filed by Bagalur police sub-inspector Ramesh Bandrada, Sharath threatened to air the allegations on a news channel if the money was not paid. Bandrada recorded Sharath’s WhatsApp calls and messages as evidence. Police also booked the owner and a reporter of BTV Kannada in the case. As per The Indian Express, Sharath was produced before a court and remanded to two days of police custody. BTV Kannada denied any association with Sharath and filed a complaint

  As work increasingly moves beyond office walls and into phones, laptops, and late-night notifications, the boundary between professional and personal life is becoming harder to define. In India, long hours, remote work, and an always-connected digital culture have renewed debate around the right to disconnect — the idea that employees should be able to switch off after work hours without fear of consequences. While a proposed Right to Disconnect Bill, 2025 has been introduced in Parliament to address these concerns, voices from journalism, technology, and media suggest that disconnecting is rarely a simple choice. In professions driven by deadlines, breaking updates, and real-time demands, availability often becomes part of the job itself. Influencing India spoke to a reporter who primarily covers the education beat, who said that “while the right to disconnect is intended to promote work–life balance, its practical application in journalism remains challenging.” The re

  As 2025 draws to a close, Influencing India looks back at some of the most engaging conversations from our Insider series. Over the year, we spoke to journalists who shared their journeys, newsroom realities, and what it truly takes to be a journalist today. Here are some of those interviews.   1. Skip the outrage, scroll the facts: Inside Priyanshi Sharma’s Peek TV playbook Peek TV was born out of a growing discomfort with the way news was being produced and consumed. In an ecosystem driven by noise, outrage, and opinion, the platform set out to do the opposite — focus on facts, restraint, and credibility. Its founder, Priyanshi Sharma, had spent years inside television newsrooms, first as a researcher at Mirror Now and later as a familiar on-screen face at NDTV, witnessing firsthand how volume often replaced verification. 2. “I had to feel, believe and report it”: Shobana Radhakrishnan’s fight to keep marginalised  voices in focus Shobana Radhakrishnan is an As

  Influencing Media's Year-End Index 2025 highlights ten pivotal stories shaping Indian journalism amid pressure, precarity, and power dynamics. Key themes include India's press freedom ranking slipping to 151st on the RSF Index, debates over journalist accreditation excluding freelancers and digital reporters (highlighted by attacks in Delhi), gender disparities addressed at the Women Journalists Conclave on pay and safety, rural women breaking barriers, election transparency issues with paid news and PCI interventions, updated PCI advisories bolstering safeguards, tensions between influencers and journalists (with IFTPC warnings on extortion), ignored regional journalism demanding state committee inclusion, and challenges for freelancers and independent media like DIGIPUB's condemnation of government actions.   1. The Year Journalism Learned to Whisper 🔗 India rises to 151 in RSF Press Freedom Index but remains in “very serious” categor

Alpha Lead Academy, a Defence Department training centre in Mysuru, organised a workshop on defence journalism to guide reporters on responsible coverage. Group Captain Abhinav Chaturvedi (Retd.), founder of the academy and former Indian Air Force officer, highlighted the need for accurate reporting while protecting national security. He advised journalists to focus on official briefings, training, leadership, and values, and avoid live coverage of operations or sensitive visuals such as guard posts, runways, or surveillance equipment. He stressed that interviews should centre on service values and motivation, not operational details or weapon systems. Information, he said, must be sourced only from authorised platforms including the Army ADGPI, Air Force and Navy PR Directorates, and relevant ministries. Chaturvedi announced a biannual “Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Best Defence Journalist” award for outstanding articles, featuring a cash prize and citation. Dr Mamata Vishwanat

Vaishnavi Rathore of Scroll has received the International Press Institute (IPI) India Award for Excellence in Journalism for her ground reports on the Great Nicobar Island Development Project. She was the first journalist to report from the island, documenting the project’s environmental and social impact, including risks to its fragile ecosystem and indigenous communities, reported Scroll. Instituted in 2003, the IPI India Award carries a trophy, citation, and a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. The jury this year was chaired by former Supreme Court judge Madan B. Lokur. The IPI, headquartered in Vienna, promotes press freedom and professional journalism worldwide. Its India chapter comprises senior editors, publishers and media executives.

Golin MENA has been appointed as the regional PR partner for TOD, the MENA region’s leading sports and entertainment streaming platform owned by beIN MEDIA GROUP, following a competitive pitch.  The mandate covers corporate and consumer communications across the GCC, Egypt, North Africa, and the Levant. Golin MENA will lead earned media, strategic storytelling, and creative campaigns for TOD’s sports and entertainment offerings.  The partnership comes at a key growth phase for TOD, with major tournaments, original content, and market expansion planned for 2026.  Golin MENA will deploy a cross-market team to support TOD’s communication goals, strengthening its presence in media, technology, entertainment, and sports.