Odia Journalism Day was observed across the state on Tuesday, with constitutional leaders paying tribute to the contribution of journalists while the Central University of Odisha (CUO) marked the occasion through a seminar highlighting grassroots reporting. The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at CUO observed the day during the second session of its three-day National Seminar-cum-Workshop on "Journalism at the Grassroots: Trends and Challenges in Media Reporting in the Age of AI and Social Media." Journalists from Nabarangpur, Jeypore, Koraput, Sunabeda, Semiliguda, Damanjodi and Laxmipur interacted with students, sharing their experiences and discussing the challenges and importance of grassroots journalism. Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik extended greetings to journalists on X, praising their commitment to truth, impartiality and public service. The leaders described journalism a

The Kerala High Court has directed Meta to provisionally restore the Facebook account of veteran journalist N. Madhavan Kutty after it was blocked at the request of the Kerala Police over a post related to the Delhi blasts. Hearing the petition on July 31, Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A. observed that blocking an entire account over a few disputed posts appeared excessive. "Going by the documents produced before this Court, it is seen that only in respect of some of the contents the entire account itself is blocked. Therefore, I am prima facie of the view that the respondents have exceeded their powers," the judge said. Madhavan Kutty, former editor of The New Indian Express, had shared a Malayalam newspaper clipping on the Delhi blasts on November 11, 2025. Along with the clipping, he posted a comment stating: "The plan to polarise Hindu-Muslim votes in the first phase of the Bihar polls has fallen flat. This could be an attempt by vested interests." Appearing for the Kerala governmen

What began as a routine reporting assignment turned into a violent ordeal for News Tamil reporter Suburaman and Abhilash, who claimed they were allegedly assaulted while covering the detention of Tamil Nadu Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin at Sengipatti Police Station in Thanjavur district. The journalists alleged that they were punched repeatedly, hit on the head and had their shirts torn by a group of supporters gathered outside the police station. Suburaman, who has been with News Tamil for the past three years, said he and Abhilash reached the police station after former deputy CM Udhayanidhi was brought there for nearly 90 minutes of questioning following his arrest over alleged controversial remarks about actor Trisha. The arrest had triggered protests and tense scenes outside the station. "As Udhayanidhi was taken inside, journalists gathered outside were trying to speak to police officials and report on the developments. The supporters present there suddenly tur

#1 · Breaking news Govt may allow fees on UPI payment above 2k rupees By Surojit Gupta   ·   Times of India, Delhi  ·  Page 1 The government is considering allowing merchants to levy a convenience or interchange fee on UPI transactions exceeding  Rs.2,000, a move that would mark a significant policy shift from the current zero-MDR regime. The story details the revenue model under discussion, the likely opposition from consumer groups, and NPCI's position on sustainability of free payments infrastructure. The story surfaces a consequential policy reversal — fees on UPI transactions — with apparent access to government deliberations and a clear mapping of stakeholder interests, making it a valuable public-interest scoop on digital payments policy.   #2 ·  Investigative Amid calls for education reforms, questions raised on NTA chief's role By Maitri Porecha &

Journalists are often judged only for the stories they narrate. In flood-ravaged Assam, local scribes have exchanged their notepads and mikes for relief kits, offering humanitarian support to families struggling to rebuild their lives. President of the Freelance Journalists Association of Nazira S.K. Hasan, along with fellow journalists, has been working in flood-hit villages since July 19, distributing relief material, medicines and essential supplies. The devastating floods have affected nearly 1.35 lakh people across five districts, while this year's deluge has claimed 85 lives so far. "Before we write the stories of those affected, it is our duty to help them," noted Hasan. "The flood has been devastating. In several places, nothing remains except knee-deep mud slush. It is painful to witness the suffering of people." With support from individuals and well-wishers, journalists in the flood-ravaged state have so far reached out to around 200 people and continue to assist fami

ElectrifyingEverything’s Neerav Bhatt believes that it's his EV technical knowledge that distinguishes his reporting.  "A lot of the people covering it are from a legacy combustion vehicle background, so that's what they know best. They've been doing it for five, ten, twenty years, whereas I'm not interested in that. I focus purely on electrified vehicles," he said. Speaking on Influencing Insider last week, Bhatt said his other point of difference was a willingness to say when something is "a bit rubbish". "I think a lot of people out there are too scared to put off advertisers or contacts, so what you get is a lot of reviews or analysis that I call ‘nice/neutral’. You will not get nice/neutral from me. You will get whether it's good, if it's meh, and if it's terrible, but from an accurate, data-driven point, not from a vibes space." Bhatt has worked in journalism for more than 20 years, starting as a blogger covering media events. As well as owning and running Electrify

Nine Entertainment CEO Matt Stanton (pictured above) has claimed Australia’s democracy is at stake because the government tilted its News Bargaining Incentive scheme toward smaller publishers. Changes introduced to the News Incentive program reduced the maximum liability that a tech platform could receive from any one deal to 16.67 per cent of the total. It was originally set to 25 per cent, which meant the tech platforms only needed to do four deals with major media companies to meet their obligations. Now they must do at least six deals. The government also made it more attractive to fund smaller publishers by increasing the multiplier on small deals from 170 per cent to 200 per cent. Stanton argues in a statement that this will “distort the market” and the “equation doesn’t stack up”. “The proposed bill now directly penalises those Australian media outlets that have invested more than any others in quality, investigative journalis