The Press Club of India (PCI) condemned what it called the targeting of the editor and journalists of Sakshi by the Andhra Pradesh Police, calling it an attempt to intimidate the media for routine reporting. It urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to direct the police to avoid “fishing expeditions” against journalists acting in the public interest. Speaking to Influencing India, PCI president Gautam Lahiri said, “It’s a disturbing trend across the country where multiple FIRs are filed in different jurisdictions against journalists for publishing news that is seen as inconvenient to those in power.” He added, “The Press Club of India reiterated its longstanding position that editorial disputes should be resolved through civil legal processes rather than criminal prosecutions.” Lahiri remarked, “While the law must be upheld equally for all, it should not be weaponised to selectively prosecute the press.” According to the PCI, four FIRs have been filed in d

Image source: MDPI, The Hindu and TOI; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   In one of the worst natural disasters to hit Doon valley in recent times, at least 13 people died in rain-related incidents and 16 others were missing as torrential downpour across Dehradun district on Monday night and early Tuesday washed away bridges and markets, and damaged key roads. As another spell of heavy rains ravaged monsoon-battered Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, triggering flash floods and landslides, at least 18 people were reportedly killed in the two states.  Hot off the Press The worst-hit areas were Sahastradhara and Maldevta on Dehradun’s outskirts. At least 70 villagers were evacuated from Sahastradhara, a popular picnic spot, by SDRF, while debris washed away the area’s main market, carrying away with it several shops catering to tourists. Landslides damaged the Sahastradhara-Karligad motor road at more than nine locations while the raging Song River swept away a portion of the road at

Vertoz Limited, a global MadTech and CloudTech platform company, has secured the communications mandate for XLRI - Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur, expanding its clientele across the education sector.   Vertoz will lead XLRI’s communication strategy across content, PR and digital platforms. The agency aims to build a strong communication framework for XLRI that goes beyond conventional communication, focusing on authentic storytelling, industry dialogues, and narratives that highlight XLRI’s contribution to shaping leadership in India and globally.  Hiren Shah, managing director of Vertoz, said, “This partnership is more than a contract – it is a new relationship built on trust and the power of meaningful communication and impact. As I have said earlier, education is the foundation of tomorrow, and when an institution like XLRI chooses to collaborate with us, it validates our belief that institutions don’t need more media; they need smarter media. We

Elisha Newell, Jack McGinn and Isabel Vieira, with Sean Cowan (front). Photo: Michael O'Brien.   It's a success story by any measure - WA-based Business News, helmed by experienced and newly promoted executive editor Sean Cowan, has reached its 1000th issue and continues to grow with new staff announced this week.  Jack McGinn is promoted to deputy editor from senior journalist and will oversee the flagship magazine. McGinn said: “More than a decade in, journalism has been a wild but rewarding ride. Working in a growing media organisation with talented and dedicated people across all of its departments is a privilege, and not something I take for granted.” Isabel Vieira becomes chief of staff, charged with directing the industry-leading online coverage. And Elisha Newell is the new head of data for editorial, driving innovation in intelligence and product development. Sean Cowan’s move from editor to executive editor, is, says the publisher, “aligning with internation

Few editors find themselves in the position that Ben Mansill faced penning the final editorial of PC Powerplay. Because it was Mansill, who almost thirty years prior wrote the very first editorial of the magazine, which would go on to become Australia's longest-running gaming magazine and arguably the country's most iconic gaming masthead. Last week, the final issue of PC Powerplay hit newsagent's shelves and subscriber's letterboxes for the very last time. The publisher of Australia's longest-running gaming magazine, Future, finally conceded to the commercial realities of gaming media, closing the magazine that first launched back in May, 1996. Mansill was PC PowerPlay’s launch editor. He brute-forced its way into existence, convincing publisher Phil Keir that the booming PC gaming scene in Australia deserved a dedicated magazine. Few editors are there at both the beginning and the end and for Mansill, that symmetry was bittersweet. “It’s really sad, book-ending it �

Potentially exploding Chinese-made cars, which could also be used as surveillance devices, should not be ridden in by government officials - that's the stark warning this morning from a top cyber expert, as reported by The Australian Financial Review's Michael Read. Trouble is, and this is not Mr Read's fault, the grab on the front page of the AFR attributes those quotes to Australia's Lt General Susan Coyle, who heads Defence's cyber and space operations. Inside the paper, though - the publication is running the Financial Review Cyber Summit - there's extended coverage, and those strong comments were apparently made by Alistair MacGibbon, the Chief Strategy Officer at CyberCX and a former cybersecurity advisor to then-PM Malcolm Turnbull. It certainly seems like a comment MacGibbon would make, and not a top Australian General who would traditionally be more circumspect, as she was.  The Summit has attracted some heavy hitters, including Lt General Coyle, who did say, "I woul

  Image courtesy: NDTV   Journalists covering actor Vijay’s debut rally in Trichy on September 13 found themselves at the centre of chaos, as some supporters heckled a senior reporter during live coverage while others struggled without basic facilities like water, shade, restrooms or press enclosures. The lack of arrangements on the organisers’ part and crowd mismanagement left several members of the media fainting or in distress. Heckling in Full View A senior television journalist, who was reporting live from the rally, was mobbed by overenthusiastic Vijay fans. Viewers saw supporters dancing around him, mocking him with gestures and one even draping the party shawl around his head. The visuals sparked immediate outrage. Influencing India contacted the journalist involved in the incident, but he declined to comment. Journalists Caught in the Chaos Influencing India also spoke to senior cameraman, Karunakaran, associated with a digital news platform in Tamil Nadu, who