In an era dominated by digital communication, the humble phone call and the power of personal relationships are still proving invaluable tools for public relations professionals seeking to capture the attention of busy editors. Marc Dodd, editor at nine.com.au, talked on Influencing Insider about the challenges and opportunities facing PRs today, and underline the importance of tailored approaches and genuine connections. Dodd, who admits to receiving "something like 120 PR pitches" in his inbox daily, highlighted the struggle for email pitches to stand out.  "It's really hard to make inbox PR pitches stand out," he confessed. While acknowledging the volume, he surprisingly expressed a fondness for a more traditional method: "Honestly, I don't mind a phone call... I do feel like the phone calls are kind of a forgotten art these days." However, Dodd's preference for a call comes with a caveat: it's about finding "the right person to call." He advises PRs to "find out who they ar

Paul McIntyre, Executive Editor at long-form publication Mi3 is stepping away from the hands-on role after seven years with the publication. He says, “it’s time to step back from the frontline.” McIntyre penned a detailed - what else would you expect from Mi3 - and at times touching missive on the publication’s website, saying, “audience, revenues and profits were our best yet for the 2025 financial year”.  “So it’s the right time after seven years on the tools building Mi3, and 35 years as a business journalist and editor, to step back from the frontline,” he said. “My first day as a journalist had me staring, terrified, at a typewriter in a terrace house in Sydney’s Surry Hills in 1989; my final days at Mi3 as Executive Editor had me looking at our Fast News AI news editions delivering the same audience numbers as our flagship, journalist-authored Daily Editions – with 20 per cent of the human workload – max.  “Only a beaten, old typewriter in my

A 75-year-old retired journalist from Nagpur, Maharashtra, faced seven days of mental harassment after falling victim to a cyber fraud scam. The fraudsters, posing as police officials, allegedly “digitally arrested” him and monitored his every move through repeated video calls. The victim, who retired from a Hindi daily in 2012, lives in Nagpur with his wife. According to The Times of India, the ordeal began on October 10 when he received a WhatsApp call from an unknown number displaying the logo of the Data Protection Board of India. Initially ignoring the call, he later answered, believing it to be an official government inquiry. The caller falsely claimed that obscene messages had been sent from his number and that there were 20 complaints against him. Soon after, he received a video call from a man dressed as a police officer, who accused him of being involved in a Rs 2.5 crore fund transfer to a banned organisation. Frightened, the journalist shared personal documents and

The Arunachal Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) and the Arunachal Press Club (APC) on Sunday observed the sixth death anniversary of veteran journalist Taro Chatung, paying heartfelt tributes to one of the pioneers of journalism in the state. The commemoration began with floral tributes to Chatung’s portrait, followed by a minute’s silence as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Members of the media fraternity gathered at the press club to remember Chatung’s fearless reporting, unwavering dedication, and immense contribution to the growth of journalism in Arunachal Pradesh. Often hailed as the founding father of electronic media in the state, Chatung was a state gold medal awardee whose legacy continues to inspire generations of journalists. Born on March 1, 1963, Chatung passed away on October 26, 2019, after battling cancer at TRIHMS, Naharlagun. Speaking on the occasion, APC Vice President Bengia Ajum lauded Chatung’s commitment to ethical journalism and u

The Delhi High Court on Monday, October 27, sought an action taken report (ATR) from the Delhi Police in connection with a complaint before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) over allegations of rape, abuse and forced beef-eating against journalist Omar Rashid, Bar and Bench reported Advocate Shaurya Mittal, appearing for Rashid, informed the court that earlier this year, the NHRC took up the complaint based on an anonymous social media post that carried false allegations of sexual misconduct and forced beef-eating. The NHRC, on July 4, directed the Delhi Police to submit an ATR, prompting Rashid to approach the High Court against the order. When the matter came up for hearing on October 25, Justice Sachin Datta said, “Let a copy of the ATR as directed by the NHRC be produced for the court’s perusal,” and posted the case for further hearing on October 31.  

The Gauhati High Court on Monday extended till November 17 the interim protection granted to journalist Abhisar Sharma in a case filed against him over alleged remarks accusing Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of promoting communal politics. The bench of Justice Shamima Jahan granted the extension after the state failed to produce the case diary, as directed earlier by the court on September 19. According to LiveLaw, FIR against Sharma was registered by Assam Police under Sections 152, 196, and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) — provisions related to endangering national sovereignty and promoting enmity between groups. Sharma had approached the High Court after the Supreme Court declined to quash the FIR but gave him four weeks of interim protection to seek relief from the lower court. During earlier hearings, Senior Advocate Kamal Nayan Choudhury argued that Sharma, a journalist who publishes on YouTube, was booked merely for expressing criticism of the governmen

  Police in Palera have nabbed a man for allegedly transporting 40 boxes of illegal liquor. The accused identified himself as a journalist and claimed to be the national president of the Patrakar Kalyan Parishad (Journalist Welfare Council). According to a report by Free Press Journal, the incident occurred during a routine police checkpoint operation aimed at curbing illegal activities in the area. The accused has been identified as Pushpendra Saxena, a resident of Chakra Road in Tikamgarh. During questioning, Saxena claimed his association with the journalist organisation, but police officials said his claims are being verified as part of the ongoing investigation.