Courier Mail, April 13th, 2026, page one Gout Gout’s “better than Bolt” sprint ignites national sporting moment Teen sprinter Gout Gout’s blistering 200m has been framed as faster than Usain Bolt at the same age and a sign Australia could be entering a new sprinting era. Beyond the hype, the significance is cultural: a rare athletics breakthrough that cuts through politics and cost-of-living, offering a unifying, future-facing story. Covered by: Courier Mail, The Age, Daily Telegraph, The Advertiser, The Australian. Albanese flags major NDIS shake-up — and eyes investor tax breaks The Prime Minister is foreshadowing significant reforms to the NDIS to protect its long-term sustainability and maintain public confidence, while also signalling that property investor tax concessions could be on the table as part of a broader economic agenda. The dual focus sharpens the pre-budget political contest: disability support is a core social contract, while housi

Akhil Kumar Mishra, Additional Director General of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) and Central Bureau of Communication, visited Fakir Mohan University on March 9 and interacted with students of the Journalism and Mass Communication department. The session was held on the theme “From Policy to Public: The Power of Everyday Communication in Building Viksit Bharat.” Mishra said the media must act as a responsible partner in the country’s development process. He stressed that effective communication, marked by clarity and coherence, is essential to bridge the gap between public policy and citizens. He added that everyday communication plays a key role in advancing the vision of Viksit Bharat. The session was attended by Professor Bharatibala Pattanaik, Head of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, along with Smti Padhi, Ashes Kumar Nayak, Moti Pankgam, and Dhirendra Behera. Students from the departments of social work, sociology, and social science also joined.

Nandagopal Rajan has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, Digital at The Indian Express. Rajan recalled his journey in a LinkedIn post, noting how the company grew from 30 people in a basement in 2013 to over 550 staff across multiple cities today. He said the video team, once a single person, now fills an entire floor. He previously served as COO from March 2024 to April 2026. He said he will carry forward the vision of Anant Goenka and the belief of George Varghese that the organisation must remain content-led. He also thanked Sanjay Sindhwani for building a stable launchpad for new opportunities. Rajan emphasised his responsibility towards readers who expect credible journalism every day. He concluded, “Here is to new milestones and, of course, great stories.”

Last night, Influencing had the pleasure of attending and sponsoring CPRA's Sydney Networking event. It was a warm autumn evening at the Babylon Rooftop in Sydney's CBD. A range of chats, discussions and laughs are had.  Please see a collection of photos from the evening: 

Mi-3’s Andrew Birmingham has said the publication’s Best Business Coverage win at this year’s Australian IT Journalism Awards reflects the company's approach. That approach, he says, “is going very deeply into issues to try and understand them,” in a long-form manner.  The first of those entries included a major deep dive into Agentic AI, titled “Agentic AI: Risks, opportunities, now and next – 60 expert interviews, executive insight, human intelligence”  Birmingham told Influencing the project began in April last year, before agentic AI entered mainstream discussion. He spent six weeks in the US conducting 60 interviews, “getting into the guts of what was happening and trying to understand what the feel of agentic AI was in the US.” “It was clear that the tech industry was just moving with all undue haste and without regard for filling in some of the potholes along the way.” Birmingham explain

Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   There is a version of this story that writes itself as tragedy and stops there. A journalist by the name of Sudesh Vadecha, running an online media outlet in Rajkot -- ‘Khabar Rajkot Ki News -- claimed in an interview to The Wire that Rajkot Crime Branch deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Jagdish Bangadwa and his team subjected him to a brutal beating and inhumane treatment.  According to his report published on March 29, 2026, Sudesh was apprehended by the Crime Branch police on March 22. He was stripped, suspended upside down and physically tortured. Hospital staff were allegedly threatened against admitting him. He was warned that false cases would be filed, that his home would be demolished. He was admitted the following morning, broken. However, the police have categorically denied these claims, terming them as “drama.” The tragedy is real. But there is another story here -- one about influence, about the stubborn,