Image source: NDTV, The Leaflet and India Blooms; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   A new political flashpoint erupted this week as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the BJP of “industrial-scale vote theft” during the 2024 Haryana elections—just a day before Bihar goes to the polls. Hot off the Press According to Sandeep Phukan for The Hindu, Rahul Gandhi alleged that 25 lakh fake voters were added to Haryana’s rolls, citing “H-Files” data that showed one Brazilian model’s photo appearing 22 times under different names. “If the voter list is a lie, there is no democracy,” Gandhi declared, calling it “Operation Sarkar Chori.” Vrinda Tulsian for Hindustan Times reported that Gandhi accused the ECI of collusion and warned that the same system was being “industrialised” for Bihar. He presented five voters from Jamui whose names, he said, were deleted without notice. But the ECI hit back. Bharti Jain for The Times of I

  9Network reveals its summer hosting lineup for the Today Show as main presenters Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo take their annual break. Today Extra's David Campbell and Sylvia Jeffreys will initially take over duties, and then Samantha Armytage will take the helm with Michael “Wippa” Wipfli from mid-December. Journalists and reporters working on the Show will include Alison Piotrowski, Dr Nick Coatsworth, Joel Dry and Jayne Azzopardi.  Weekends will feature a rotating roster of hosts across the summer, including Lara Vella, Michael Atkinson, Dan Anstey and Lizzie Pearl. Stefanovic and Abo return on Monday January 19 and will initially be covering the 2026 Australian Open. During the tournament, Today will broadcast an extended edition from 5:30am to 10am daily, live from Melbourne Park. The main section leads leads on the Show will be Jayne Azzopardi on news, Danika Mason on sport, Richard Wilkins and Renee Bargh with entertainment and Tim Davies on weather.  

Much coverage across the media this week - both specialist and mainstream press - on the government’s decision to legislate content quotas for streaming services.  Tim Burrowes at Mumbrella says it’s about time. “Nobody is going to accuse the government of being precipitous when it comes to its communications industry policy,” wrote Burrowes. “Two-and-a-half years after announcing a content quota for the streaming companies, the government has … announced a content quota for the streaming companies.” Burrowes takes readers on a history tour of the missteps and missed opportunities when it comes to Australian content. Ronald Mizen at The Australian Financial Review had some numbers for streamers like Netflix.  “Netflix will be forced to spend $100 million a year on making or buying Australian TV programs under new content quotas being introduced into federal parliament on Thursday.” At Mediaweek Natasha Bell, newly minted media editor at the publication, als

Alice Griffin, the now former Editor-in-Chief and Managing Director of Junkee Media is a star. In Junkee, Griffin took what was essentially a dormant masthead and re-birthed it into something meaningful and important again. So when she announced her departure from Junkee this week, her reference to mental health was concerning. “I’m really looking forward to a new path that allows time for me to prioritise creating for myself, my relationships and (importantly for me and so many others) my mental health,” she wrote. Junkee's Editor-in-chief and managing director Alice Griffin is refocusing on personal projects We’ve seen a worrying uptick of journalists and media creators talk about mental health and stress, as part of the rationale for them departing their roles, or sometimes leaving the industry entirely. Thankfully, Griffin has no intention of leaving media - she’ll be re-focusing her creativity on her own independent initiatives, while continuing the Little

Morning and welcome to Thursday, with political stories from both sides of the world taking up plenty of column inches today. Let's look at the US first, not least because the Daily Telegraph - or at least it's editorial writer - is frothing at the mouth at the election of self-described democratic socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani. "New York City has had some crazy mayors over the years, but newly elected Zohran Mamdani may turn out to be the wildest of the lot," says the Tele, and then goes on to say he plans to "tax the rich to pay for free buses, universal tax-funded childcare, and even city-owned grocery stores." Good Lord, the hide of the man! And those people who democratically elected him on a landslide - what were they thinking!? What is the world coming to? Well, it's maybe coming just a little bit to its senses - is it really so bad to have properly funded services, and if you're a billionaire maybe you can spare a few more dimes, some crumbs from your table. I know, I

The distribution of newspapers across Punjab was significantly disrupted on Sunday, following reports that vehicles carrying publications were stopped at multiple police checkpoints between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Punjab Police stated that the action was based on “specific intelligence inputs.” However, the explanation has drawn criticism from media organisations and opposition leaders, with some describing the move as politically motivated. According to a Hindustan Times report, opposition figures referred to the incident as “Sheesh Mahal 2.0,” in reference to the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The Chandigarh Press Club (CPC) and the Press Club of India (PCI) issued statements condemning the police action, describing it as a violation of press freedom. The CPC reported that several newspaper delivery vehicles were stopped and, in some cases, taken to police stations for inspection, resulting in delays and alleged harassment of delivery personnel. Incid

Ayurvedic wellness brand Amrutam has engaged strategic communications agency The Other Circle (TOC) to lead its public relations and reputation management efforts across India. The partnership aims to enhance Amrutam’s national visibility and promote Ayurveda as an authentic, ethical, and evidence-based wellness system. Amrutam, certified by the Ministry of AYUSH, is known for its women-first approach and its guiding philosophy, “Health is Beauty.” The collaboration with TOC will focus on reinforcing Amrutam’s commitment to classical Ayurvedic principles and expanding its reach among diverse audiences. The brand’s offerings prioritise internal wellness through traditional Ayurvedic processes and are designed to support women across various life stages—from menarche to menopause. These are complemented by community-driven initiatives such as blogs, podcasts, and online consultations. “Central to Amrutam’s model is our women-first approach, supporting holistic health