Senior journalist Michael Robert Patrao, who spent over thirty years with Deccan Herald, passed away on Tuesday, November 25. He was 66. Patrao began his professional journey in advertising and later joined Deccan Herald in 1992. He started as a reporter in the Bengaluru bureau and went on to cover Karnataka’s political landscape, policy developments and multiple elections. He also wrote extensively on Bengaluru’s heritage and culture, and was well known for his music reviews. In the latter phase of his career, he shifted to the news desk and handled several editorial responsibilities. He retired in 2017 after reaching the age of superannuation, but continued to write for the newspaper’s school edition. Patrao had reported to work on Monday. He is survived by his wife, son and daughter, Deccan Herald reported In another loss to the media fraternity, Ashok Kumar Sinha, former senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times in Patna, passed at Ruban Hospital on Monday evening, No

Image source: TOI, India Today and Inconnect News; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   Some incidents slip through the cracks of diplomacy; others expose the cracks themselves. The 18-hour detention of an Indian woman from Arunachal Pradesh at Shanghai Pudong Airport — and China’s claim that her Indian passport was “invalid” because her birthplace is “Chinese territory” — has now escalated into a full-blown diplomatic confrontation. What began as one traveller’s ordeal has reopened one of Asia’s most persistent geopolitical wounds: China’s refusal to acknowledge Arunachal Pradesh as part of India, and India’s firm rejection of that narrative. The episode has arrived at a moment when both sides are gingerly trying to stabilise ties after years of border tensions. Instead, it has turned into another reminder of how fragile that normalisation effort remains. Hot off the Press The Times of India reported that the Ministry o

              The Press Club of India (PCI) has voiced strong concern over the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) notification of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules under the DPDP Act, 2023, warning that the framework could undermine press freedom and infringe upon Article 19(1) of the Constitution. India’s largest association of journalists, along with 22 press bodies representing thousands of reporters, had earlier submitted a Joint Memorandum in June 2025 outlining major gaps in the Act. The memorandum stressed that while the media fraternity sought to work constructively with the government, several provisions contained vague and sweeping definitions that could be weaponised against journalistic work. Real-life reporting scenarios were cited to demonstrate how ambiguities in the law could obstruct daily news-gathering, with the PCI calling for explicit exemptions for journalistic dutie

There was tinsel aplenty, and a jolly good time was had by all last night as Influencing held its annual Red Christmas Party, this year combined with Influencing/Media Connect's 25th Anniversary celebration.  Held at the Pyrmont Bridge Hotel, the year was celebrated by a raft of conversations, memories, plenty of laughs, and a bit of karaoke thrown in. Influencing CEO Phil Sim expressed his thanks to the ITJourno community for their support over 25 years, as well as thanking his family, and past and present colleagues, before teasing several plans for 2026.  Sim later said of the event: "We'd like to thank everyone who came and helped us to celebrate this milestone.  "We're very proud of what we have been able to achieve and excited about what's still to come." And here's a selection of photos from the evening.            &nb

What began as a simple platform to sell pre-loved baby gear has blossomed into a thriving online community of 1.4 million mothers, thanks to the vision and tenacity of Belinda Jennings, founder of Mum Central.  With nearly 30 years of sales and marketing experience under her belt, Jennings, a mother of two teenage boys, launched Mum Central 15 years ago, driven by a personal need for authentic, peer-to-peer advice. "I founded the Mum Central network 15 years ago back when I was a first-time mum, didn't really quite know what I was doing," Jennings told Influencing Insider.  Her initial venture, a "baby bargains platform" designed to help her sell her son's old gear, quickly "morphed into this very fast-growing online community of mums”. The catalyst for the transformation was a clear and pressing need, said Jennings.  "We saw a real need for honest advice mum-to-mum, the peer-to-peer type conversations," Jennings explains.  "I decided to grab it by the horns and see wher