Image courtesy: NDTV   Journalists covering actor Vijay’s debut rally in Trichy on September 13 found themselves at the centre of chaos, as some supporters heckled a senior reporter during live coverage while others struggled without basic facilities like water, shade, restrooms or press enclosures. The lack of arrangements on the organisers’ part and crowd mismanagement left several members of the media fainting or in distress. Heckling in Full View A senior television journalist, who was reporting live from the rally, was mobbed by overenthusiastic Vijay fans. Viewers saw supporters dancing around him, mocking him with gestures and one even draping the party shawl around his head. The visuals sparked immediate outrage. Influencing India contacted the journalist involved in the incident, but he declined to comment. Journalists Caught in the Chaos Influencing India also spoke to senior cameraman, Karunakaran, associated with a digital news platform in Tamil Nadu, who

Sindhu Hariharan, bureau chief at The Hindu Business Line, has announced the launch of a new podcast, Digital Play Books. The show is designed as a platform where tech leaders and analysts share insights on navigating the fast-changing digital economy. Each episode will feature candid conversations with industry leaders on emerging technologies and the future of business in a digitally driven world. The first episode featured Zoho’s senior leaders, Shailesh Davey, CEO and co-founder of Zoho Corporation and Mani Vembu, CEO of Zoho Corp, discussing how they separate AI’s hype from reality in SaaS, investment avenues to navigate the change, why Zoho’s office looks like a college campus and more. The episode also navigates the global geopolitical climate and opportunities for India. The first episode of Digital Play Books can be watched here. Stay tuned to The Hindu businessline YouTube channel for the upcoming episodes. 

Image source: Daily Excelsior, Millennium Post and The Economic Times; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   The Supreme Court on Monday refused to freeze the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 in its entirety but suspended several provisions it deemed “prima facie arbitrary.” The interim order underscored Parliament’s presumption of constitutionality, while also acknowledging serious risks to property rights and minority protections if the law were allowed to operate unchecked. Hot off the Press Dhananjay Mahapatra for The Times of India reported that the court stopped short of striking down the law but paused the clause requiring proof of five years of Islamic practice before dedicating property to waqf, until the Centre frames proper rules. It also suspended provisions empowering officers above collector rank to derecognise waqf properties during inquiries, calling such powers arbitrary and inconsistent with the separation of powers. Krishnadas Rajagopal for The Hindu noted

            September 15 is observed as Engineers’ Day, celebrating the minds that build bridges, design machines, and solve problems that power modern life. Engineering isn’t only equations and blueprints; it is also curiosity, observation and storytelling. For some, the move from designing systems to telling stories has felt natural. This Engineers’ Day, we spotlight those who chose bylines over boardrooms, showing how structured thinking and precision can serve reporting, editing, and storytelling just as well as they serve technical work. From circuits to headlines Ashok Dhamija, an electrical engineer by education, chose to follow his passion for photography and writing. Dhamija, now a senior correspondent for Newsband, a Navi Mumbai-based newspaper, says he enjoys his work and loves telling stories. “I was always passionate about sports during my younger days. Earlier, there were only newspapers and radios. I would wake up early to catch BBC’s sports

          India remains one of the most dangerous and restrictive environments for journalists in the Commonwealth, according to a joint study by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, the Commonwealth Journalists Association, and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association. From 2006 to 2023, 213 journalists were killed across 19 Commonwealth countries; Pakistan accounted for 87, India for 56, and Nigeria for 13, making India the second-worst after Pakistan. The study reports a 96 per cent impunity rate: 205 of the 213 killings remain unresolved, with none of the eight solved cases in India. On the World Press Freedom Index 2024, only seven of the 43 ranked Commonwealth countries are in the top 50, with Canada at 11. India is among the lowest 50, reflecting weak legal protections and high impunity. The Global Expression Report, based on V-Dem indicators, places India in the “in crisis” category alongside Bangladesh, Rwanda, and Eswatini. As of December 1, 2024, three jo

Welcome to Tuesday and it's going to be a hot one - or at least it is in most of today's print dailies where what's variously described as 'grim',(SMH) 'apocalyptic' (Australian Financial Review), and just in case you were in any doubt, 'catastrophe looms', that last one according to The Age's headline writer. Yes, they're all writing about the just-released and very first National Climate Risk Assessment Report, described by the Sydney Morning Herald as a 'landmark report' and which warns of a 'grim future' due to rising carbon emissions and the likely resulting global warming. But if you were worried by this wall-to-wall coverage, The Australian has some words of comfort - actually quite a lot of them. Columnist Judith Sloan, who would not say she is a climate expert, gives her take on the report, saying, "This type of report is pure speculation. There is little doubt the authors have opted for the worst-case scenario".  It also carries a piece by Sarah Ison and Greg

India TV, a leading Hindi news broadcaster, announced on Friday that its official YouTube channel was hacked by unidentified entities “suspected to be of Russian origin”. The hack led to the deletion of over 2 lakh videos from archives and disrupted the YouTube live feed. Ritu Dhawan, managing director and CEO of India TV, condemned the action as a threat to “weaken independent journalism” and said the channel is working closely with YouTube and cybersecurity authorities to restore deleted content and enhance their proactive measures. "Our YouTube channel has recently faced a major cyber-attack. We strongly condemn such attempts, which are being undertaken to silence our media and undermine our democratic values. We remain committed to continue to deliver authentic, accurate, and timely news and views to our vast audience without any disruption to our other relevant assets,” she said. India TV condemns the breach as part of increased cyber attacks on India, attempting �