Census culture war: new gender questions and “China” tick-box backlash Debate over the 2026 Census is flaring, with proposed new gender-related questions drawing strong reactions and fresh criticism over country-of-birth classifications — including claims China has been omitted from key tick boxes. With the census compulsory and central to funding and planning, the controversy risks becoming a broader political fight about identity, multicultural recognition and trust in institutions. Covered by: The West Australian, Herald Sun. Airport chaos escalates: near-miss scrutiny and ministerial warning Sydney Airport delays and safety concerns have intensified after another reported near-collision on the tarmac, with staffing shortages in air traffic control again under the microscope. The federal government has issued a blunt warning to the agency, raising the stakes for aviation safety, reliability and accountability during peak travel periods. Covered by: Sydney Morning Herald, Th

ABC's Media Watch has picked up on News 24 having to issue a correction after Credlin host Peta Credlin wrongly claimed a Judaism option had been removed from the Religious Affiliation category on this year's Census. In a segment titled "Divine Write”, during last night’s show, Media Watch host Linton Besser said Credlin first aired the claim on the July 29 edition of her self-titled show, describing it as "a shock." "I thought I'd got it wrong; I thought it was being read the wrong way, but in fact they'd taken away Judaism as a religion you can nominate. You have to tick 'Other' on the box and then write in Judaism," Credlin said. Besser noted the claim was contradicted on News 24 itself the following night, when demographer Mark McCrindle told the Sharri program that Judaism had never had its own tick-box. Despite this, Besser referenced Credlin doubling down on the claim the following Monday, telling viewers: "

Journalists in Tamil Nadu have expressed concern over a spate of recent incidents involving alleged attacks and disrespect while on duty. Reporters pointed to mistreatment at government events, inappropriate remarks by political leaders during press interactions, and confrontations during protests and political developments. In response, field journalists, reporters, and videographers have called for a joint protest involving multiple media associations. Leaders of the South Indian Journalists Union, including President Chandrika and General Secretary Kathiravan, reached out to Chennai Press Club President Suresh and General Secretary Hasif to inform them about the proposed demonstration. The move sparked differences with some Chennai Press Club office‑bearers over the sharing of the protest announcement among journalists. Questions were raised about the club leadership’s response, with renewed calls for greater unity among media organisations to safeguard journalist rights

Punt Creative has been appointed as the communications partner for PizzaExpress India following a competitive multi-agency pitch. Under the mandate, the agency will handle the brand’s communication and digital strategy, social media, content and integrated campaign development. Punt Creative will focus on strengthening PizzaExpress India’s digital presence, building its content ecosystem and creating culturally relevant campaigns to deepen consumer engagement across platforms.

Journalism has traditionally focused on identifying what has gone wrong. Solutions journalism asks an additional question: what is being done about it, and is that response actually working? The approach has gained ground internationally through the Solutions Journalism Network, founded in 2013 by journalists David Bornstein, Tina Rosenberg and Courtney Martin. Yet in India, practitioners say the concept is still frequently misunderstood as positive journalism or advocacy rather than rigorous, evidence-based reporting. Influencing India spoke to journalists and educators working with the format about what solutions journalism demands and why its adoption remains uneven. Independent journalist and accredited Solutions Journalism Network mentor Swati Sanyal Tarafdar says the approach is built around four elements: the response to a problem, evidence of its impact, the limitations of that response and the lessons that can be drawn from its implementation. "Solutions journalism

Senior journalist and The Wire Editor Seema Chishti has said Indian media is at a “critical juncture” and stressed the growing importance of small and independent media outlets, according to The Hindu. Delivering the 25th N. Narendran Memorial Lecture, Chishti argued that “big media is not willing to hear small voices” and called for collaboration and joint investigations among independent organisations. She emphasised that preserving “good information” is essential for democracy, warning against the rise of propaganda and what she described as “error 404 journalism”, where older critical stories are deliberately removed. Chishti also urged journalists to explore technological innovations that could strengthen independent journalism and safeguard democratic discourse.  

A new newspaper, India Unboxed, launched in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, August 7, positioning investigative journalism, hard news and people-centric reporting as its core focus. The launch took place at Daria Hill in the presence of IPR Director Gijum Tali, Printing and Stationery Deputy Director Heri Maring, East Kameng Zilla Parishad Chairperson Pai Pizi Yangfo, and community leader Khya Safar Pao. The publication will also operate as a digital news platform, with an emphasis on ground reporting and efforts to draw younger readers back to newspapers. Founder Ram Tajo told Influencing that the newspaper was launched at a time when digital and audiovisual platforms have significantly changed how people consume news, and that India Unboxed aims to bring both older and younger readers back to print while maintaining factual and ethical journalism. Editor Sonam Jelly said the paper was conceived after observing a lack of diversity in Arunachal Pradesh's news coverage. "M