Journalist Umang Poddar has received the Best Reporting on Human Rights & Religious Freedom (Hindi) at the 2025 Human Rights & Religious Freedom (HRRF) Journalism Awards. Poddar was recognised for two investigative reports for BBC News Hindi that examined nearly 130 court orders related to the Delhi riots. His reporting revealed systemic flaws in policing, including fabricated evidence and flawed investigations. Notably, in more than 80 per cent of cases, the accused were acquitted or discharged, with some individuals spending over five years in jail before their trials even began. He was one of three finalists shortlisted in the Hindi category. Announcing the award on X, Poddar wrote: “I’m pleased to announce that two of my stories for @BBCHindi on the Delhi riots have won the Best Reporting on Human Rights & Religious Freedom (Hindi) award at the HRRFJ Awards this year. I looked at more than 130 orders that have come relating to De

Image source: The Statesman, News18 and Indian Express; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   At least nine people died due to electrocution in Kolkata and its suburbs after heavy rains lashed the city on Monday night (September 22, 2025) and the early hours of Tuesday (September 23, 2025) due to a low pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) for the tragedy. Hot off the Press The deaths were reported in Kolkata’s Ekbalpore, Gariahat, Haridevpur, Behala, Netaji Nagar, Garfa, and Shakespeare Saranai police station areas in the south, and in the Beniapukur police station area in north Kolkata, reported Shrabana Chatterjee and Shiv Sahay Singh for The Hindu. "The (State) government will come to the aid of families who have died and will ensure that they get jobs. But the Power Department and particularly CESC cannot evade their responsibility. They must pay a minimum compensation of âÂ

NDTV has acquired the GoodTimes channel from Lifestyle and Media Broadcasting Limited (LMBL) for up to Rs 18 crore. The acquisition will be completed through the execution of a Business Transfer Agreement and other ancillary documents on a going concern basis. It is expected to conclude within three months, subject to regulatory approval from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The transaction qualifies as a related-party deal with LMBL but has been conducted at arm’s length based on valuation. The consideration will be paid through a combination of cash and television advertising inventory. The deal is intended to strengthen NDTV’s strategic positioning and diversify its operational capabilities. GoodTimes was originally launched by NDTV in September 2007 through its subsidiary NDTV Lifestyle.  

A panel of prominent economists, including Nobel Prize winners Prof. Joseph E. Stiglitz and Prof. Daron Acemoglu, has warned of a possible “collapse” of the public interest media sector in the age of artificial intelligence. Their report, titled The Economic Imperative of Investing in Public Interest Media, was released under the “Forum on Information and Democracy,” a body formed by Reporters Without Borders and the French state. “Governments around the world are chasing the AI dream, pinning their hopes on these technologies to drive economic prosperity. Yet they are not investing sufficiently in a foundational resource that underpins our 21st-century economies – independent, verifiable information,” the statement said. The economists noted that even before the advent of AI, the sector had been weakened by the collapse of traditional revenue models, as digital platforms captured advertising streams and audience attention, leaving independent media financially fragi

Experienced freelance technology journalist Stuart Corner is throwing his hat back in the ring, making a renewed effort to write more. “I don't want to sit and twiddle my thumbs. I have other interests, but I'm still fascinated by this industry, and I still want to be part of this industry. And the best way to be part of it is to contribute.” Corner told Influencing.  Corner, a tech journo for over four decades - working for ComputerWorld before running his Executive newsletter for over 20 years - and more recently operating IoT Australia while also working freelance  - isn’t here to muck about.  “I don't intend to just rewrite press releases. If I can find something, then my own source of information is press releases. But I have to be able to find an angle or to be able to add value somehow.” Corner’s increased activity can be traced back to September 8, announcing his first piece with iTWire, with his declared approach on display.  “My first piece, ‘Beware

If there's anything you can be assured of, it's that the sun will come up every morning and the Murdoch papers will push back against climate change policies, often running out an 'expert' to give weight to an issue or two with emissions goals, and so it is this morning as The Daily Telegraph thunders 'SCIENCE FICTION' about the report that underpinned the government's emissions numbers released last week. According to the Tele, that report is now the Doomsday Report, or as they specifically put it in the sub-head on that front page story, 'Doomsday report is out of this world: US expert'. That's an exclusive by John Rolfe.  That expert is Dr Roger Pielke Jr from the US. He told the Tele the report exaggerated impacts and 'low-balled' costs and that it was really political advocacy. Pielke is referred to in the tabloid as "until recently leading the University of Colorado's Centre for Science and Technology Policy and Research". Indeed, he was, and he is now a senior fe

          On September 20, 2025, The Hindu marked its 147th anniversary by launching a new brand campaign with the tagline “Written by Journalists.” The initiative underscores the newspaper’s core principles at a time when mainstream media faces accusations of compromising stories for favours. Chairperson of The Hindu Group, Nirmala Lakshman, shared a post on Instagram describing the publication as “a proud legacy of free and independent journalism that speaks truth to power, upholds freedom of expression, stands for an inclusive society and embodies the best principles of journalism.” Aparajita Biswas, Head of Marketing at The Hindu, announced the campaign on LinkedIn, stating, “On the Founder’s Day, we are proud to unveil The Hindu’s new brand campaign – Written By Journalists.” She added that in an environment where facts are contested and content is driven by algorithms, The Hindu stands apart because of the rigour, ethics, and commitment of its jo