Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   With the annual Union Budget just around the corner, newsrooms across the country are trying to outdo each other in understanding/analysing the Budget and put out the best presentation for their readers. The Budget-day editions are often the most sought-after despite the onslaught of online media and social media interpretations. Ironically, there has really been nothing for journalists to look forward to in any Union Budget of the past several years. As an industry, media gets a share of the Union Budget every year and expectations are high this year too. Industry leaders say they are looking for structural policy corrections that can arrest years of economic erosion, according to Chehneet Kaur for e4m. She adds that across legacy media, the consensus is clear that the next phase of sustainability will depend less on government spending and more on rationalising taxation, fixing pricing frameworks and easing access to capital. Concerns for p

Senior journalist Vijay Rawat has joined NDTV as Executive Editor, where he will head the network’s Hindi website. In his new role, Rawat will report to Santosh Kumar, Senior Managing Editor, NDTV (Hindi Digital), and will focus on strengthening NDTV’s Hindi digital editorial operations, e4m reported. Rawat recently exited the India Today Group after nearly a decade, most recently serving as Executive Editor of aajtak.in. With more than 25 years of experience across print and digital journalism, Rawat has previously worked with Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala, Haribhoomi, and Network18’s Hindi digital platform.

Senior journalist Palki Sharma is set to exit her role as Managing Editor at Firstpost as she prepares to start an independent venture, according to multiple media reports. The announcement was made during an internal town hall held for Firstpost staff on Thursday evening, people familiar with the matter said. Addressing employees, Network18 Chief Content Officer Santosh Menon said Sharma will continue with the organisation until March despite stepping away from her current position. He also announced that Binoy Prabhakar, who earlier served as Chief Content Officer at Hindustan Times Digital, has been appointed to the same role at Firstpost. Meanwhile, Rakesh Rai, presently Executive Editor at Firstpost, is expected to assume the role of Managing Editor at News18.com, as reported by Newslaundry.

Lodestar UM, an Omnicom Media India agency, has won the integrated media mandate for Amazon Music after a competitive review process, according to social samosa.    The agency will handle full-funnel media activation in India, covering integrated media planning and execution.   The mandate will be delivered using Lodestar UM’s Full Color Media framework, which combines data, technology, and creative planning.  

Stephen Fenech believes TechGuide has become a respected and well-trusted brand for people of all ages and levels of expertise, as he celebrates his masthead’s 15th anniversary. “Ninety-nine per cent of people aren’t tech experts, and that's a bigger audience for me to aim at, and that's exactly what I set out to do”, Fenech told Influencing.  “To this day, I still write my content in plain English and explain every acronym and really spell it out for people, so it can be easily understood what’s going on, and people can understand my reviews, so when they make their own decisions, they can make informed decisions.” TechGuide reached the 15-year milestone last Saturday, and Fenech said that over those years, he’s become pretty happy with how the publication has fared.  It's been quite the journey, he says, adding he has no regrets about starting TechGuide back in January 2011. Fenech added it was his father who

A new digital publication, Ripe in Town.com, shines a spotlight on Australia's vast and often overlooked regional and rural areas, aiming to inspire both domestic and international travellers to explore the country's hidden treasures. Lauren Deighton, Editor-in-Chief and founder of Ripe in Town describes the platform as a "centralised hub focused purely on the regions," and it’s a much-needed resource in a landscape often dominated by city-centric travel content. "There's a lot of good publications out there that do already cover regional areas, but they're usually niched down to a specific region or a specific area," Deighton explains. "Obviously, regional Australia is huge. It's a huge area to cover, so there's endless content opportunities for us." The publication, currently in its startup growth phase, has a clear mission: "We want to encourage visitation to all of those amazing, often underrated towns and regions that people don't necessarily think of when they're planning

Nine Entertainment Co has announced this morning it is acquiring digital outdoor media platform, QMS Media (QMS), selling its broadcast radio stations to billionaire Arthur Laundy and converting regional television station NBN (Northern NSW) from a wholly-owned business to an affiliate, owned and operated by Nine’s regional partner, WIN Network (WIN). The radio stations being sold are 2GB, 3AW, 4BC, 6PR, 2UE, Magic1278 and 4BH, for what would seem something of a bargain at $56million.  The major moves represent "a step change in Nine’s asset portfolio", said the company which also owns publications The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review. The print and digital mastheads are not affected by the moves.  Nine said the reshaped portfolio "meaningfully enhances Nine’s offering to advertisers as a unique cross-platform digital media proposition, combining Nine’s premium assets in Streaming and