PISA shock: Australian teens hit 25-year lows in reading and maths Fresh international test results show Australian students’ reading and maths performance has slumped to its weakest levels in a generation, with more students now classed as low performers. The breadth of coverage underscores a national policy problem—spanning curriculum, classroom discipline and the impact of screens—likely to intensify pressure on state and federal governments ahead of the next round of education reforms. Covered by: The West Australian, Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, Herald Sun, The Advertiser. Labor’s “My Feed, My Way” plan sets up a major tech and free-speech fight The Albanese government’s proposed digital duty-of-care laws would let users opt out of algorithm-driven feeds, backed by big penalties for platforms and expanded minister/eSafety powers—triggering an immediate political clash with the Coalition over censorship and who defines “harmful” con

It was at the end of his first week at Mumbrella that Zac Nikolovski knew he could handle his new reporter role, after breaking a story involving One Nation’s media policy.  “[One Nation] told me on the record that they would scrap SBS entirely and scale back the ABC to a regional-only role. Importantly, this was before Pauline Hanson's press club speech, where she said that,” Nikolovski told Influencing.  He says it was confirmation he was capable of breaking big stories, after going through university with a degree of imposter syndrome, being two or three years older than his classmates, and not from Sydney. It's one of several standout moments from his four months at Mumbrella, alongside being part of various Mumbrella events. The One Nation story remains one of Nikolovski's favourites, as does a 2,500-word feature he wrote on marketing within the video game Fortnite. “I enjoyed [it] because I play Fortnite outside of work, but that was a story where I realised the

The Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) has announced a mega agitation to press the government to address a range of long-pending demands concerning journalists. Speaking to Influencing India, APUWJ state president I.V. Subbarao said the union would observe ‘Demands Day’ across the state on October 2, followed by a rally or mass dharna in Amaravati. Subbarao said the union’s primary demand was a special law to protect journalists from attacks and harassment. “Since attacks and harassment against journalists have increased across the country, we are demanding the introduction of a special protection law,” he said. He said the union was seeking a Journalist Protection Act in Andhra Pradesh on the lines of Maharashtra and other states, besides demanding a nationwide law to ensure the safety of journalists. Subbarao also raised the issue of house sites for journalists in Andhra Pradesh, saying the government had promised house sites and houses in its electio

Asian News International (ANI) has filed an appeal before a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court, challenging a July order that refused to restrain OpenAI from using its news content for AI training. ANI, the first Indian media organisation to sue OpenAI, alleges that its reports were scraped and stored to train large language models like ChatGPT, amounting to copyright infringement. The single‑judge bench had earlier held that such use fell under the fair dealing exception in India’s Copyright Act, covering private use and research. ANI argues that the ruling wrongly extended fair dealing to commercial AI training, contending that public accessibility does not permit copying for profit. The appeal is listed before Justices V. Kameswar Rao and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora. The case has drawn interventions from industry bodies including the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) and Federation of Indian Publishers in support of ANI, while groups such as Flux Labs AI and

India’s newspaper industry is beginning to look beyond the traditional advertising-and-circulation model, with events, digital subscriptions, outdoor advertising, branded properties, business services and other ventures accounting for a growing share of publisher revenues. The shift reflects a wider change in the economics of news publishing. Rather than expecting digital advertising or subscriptions alone to replace declining print income, publishers are increasingly building portfolios of revenue streams around the audiences, brands and relationships developed through their core journalism businesses. A recent Exchange4media analysis estimates that major Indian newspaper groups are now generating around 25–30% of their revenues from businesses outside print. Citing a CRISIL study of five widely circulated Indian dailies, it said non-print businesses are expected to account for around 25% of revenue, compared with approximately 13% in FY19. CRISIL expects these non-pr

Senior journalist Avnish Kumar Mishra has rejoined Dainik Jagran, marking his return to one of India’s leading Hindi dailies. Mishra, who has held key editorial roles in the past, brings extensive experience back to the organisation at a time when legacy media houses are strengthening their leadership to adapt to digital transformation and evolving reader engagement. His return underscores Jagran’s focus on reinforcing its editorial depth and continuing its strong presence across Hindi‑speaking regions.

Senior journalist Timsy Jaipuria has stepped down from CNBC-TV18 after 10 years with the network. In a LinkedIn post, she described the move as “harder than I imagined,” reflecting on a decade that shaped her professionally and personally. Jaipuria recalled breaking news alerts, sleepless nights covering stories, and interviews that stayed with her long after the cameras stopped rolling. She expressed gratitude to colleagues, sources, and viewers, noting: “Journalism, at its best, is not about being comfortable. It is about asking the difficult questions, holding power to account, listening when it is easier to dismiss, and telling the truth even when the truth isn’t convenient.” She emphasised that while she is leaving the newsroom, she is not leaving journalism, and looks forward to new possibilities ahead.