The newly elected President of the Pune Shramik Patrakar Sangh, Umesh Shelke, has announced an ambitious one-year agenda that includes constructing a dedicated press club in Pune, expanding insurance cover for members, and making the journalists’ body financially self-sustaining. Shelke, a special correspondent with Sakal, said the state government has already allotted land for the proposed press club after his sustained efforts over the past year and a half. “Pune is a metro city and should have a press club like Mumbai and Nagpur. The government has granted land, and our aim is to complete the press club within one year,” he said. Beyond infrastructure, Shelke emphasised welfare measures: Raising insurance cover for members from 2 lakh to 5 lakh Supporting the education of journalists’ children Increasing revenue streams to make the organisation self-sustaining, reducing reliance on grants and donations Shelke was elected President for the 2026-27 term

Peek TV has crossed 10 crore monthly views within a year of its launch, according to co-founder and journalist Priyanshi Sharma.  In a LinkedIn post, Sharma said the platform focused on meaningful and underreported stories instead of chasing viral content or viewership metrics. She added that several of Peek TV's reports gained traction after publication, highlighting audience interest in public-interest journalism.  Calling the milestone one of many to come, Sharma said prioritising quality, editorial judgement, and audience needs can drive growth. She also invited brands interested in partnering with Peek TV to reach its audience, asking them to connect via [email protected].  

Businessline Consulting Editor Subramani Ra Mancombu has received the SOMS Thought Leadership Award in Agri Journalism at the Specialty Fertilizer Summit & B2B Expo 2026 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.  The award recognises his contribution to agricultural reporting and policy discourse. Other winners included Laxmi Devi Aere of Press Trust of India, Shambhavi Anand of The Economic Times, and Suchetna Chaudhry of Agro Spectrum.  The SOMS Agri Journalism Awards honour journalists for their contributions to agricultural reporting and strengthening awareness around India's agriculture and fertiliser ecosystem.    Image credit: Businessline 

The Chennai Press Club has strongly condemned the conduct of MDMK General Secretary Vaiko, alleging that he spoke in a threatening manner to a journalist during a media interaction in Chengalpattu district. According to a statement issued by the Press Club, the incident occurred on June 30, 2026, near Thiruporur, where Vaiko interacted with reporters following MDMK's recent exit from the DMK alliance. During the interaction, journalists questioned him about the party's decision. The Press Club alleged that Vaiko reacted angrily to one journalist's question, asking, "Who are you? Which newspaper?" It further claimed that he referred to the journalist's publication as a "yellow rag," questioned who had sent the reporter, and accused the journalist of attending the event with an agenda to create trouble. The organisation also alleged that Vaiko instructed party workers to remove the journalist by saying, "Get him out, send him outside." I

Friday, 3 July 2026 #1  ·  Times City / Front Page  ·  Breaking news Govt orders CAG audit of power discoms over regulatory assets of ₹38,500 crore By Staff Reporter   ·   The Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page 6 The Delhi government has ordered the Comptroller and Auditor General to conduct a strict and intensive audit of the three private power distribution companies — BSES Rajdhani, BSES Yamuna, and Tata Power Delhi — over the accumulation of Rs 38,500 crore in regulatory assets that are to be recovered from consumers. The Delhi cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, recommended the audit on June 29, marking what would be the first CAG audit of the discoms since electricity distribution was privatised in 2002. The audit is expected to be completed within three months, with BSES claiming the matter is sub judice after Delhi High Court recently dismissed its petition against the move. The

The Desk Journalists' Sangham (DJS) has flagged concerns over Telangana's journalist accreditation policy, alleging that restrictive eligibility norms and administrative hurdles are locking a large section of working journalists out of both government welfare schemes and official coverage access. Speaking to Influencing, DJS President Badini Upendra said the stakes are higher in Telangana than elsewhere because the state has one of India's largest journalist networks, built on a distribution model that pushes reporting down to the grassroots. Unlike states where newspapers deploy reporters mainly at the district level, Telangana's papers run extensive district editions backed by mandal-level correspondents and stringers — a structure Upendra said has created employment for thousands of journalists across urban and rural areas. "Almost every mandal has newspaper contributors or stringers. Telangana has one of the largest networks of journalists because of the tabloid system," he

Veteran journalist Guruaribam Naocha Sharma, widely respected in Manipur’s media fraternity, passed away on June 30 at the age of 57 after a period of ill health. A familiar presence in both television and print journalism, Sharma worked with Sahara TV, NewsX, and ANI before joining Imphal Times in 2013, where he remained associated for more than a decade. Even as his health declined following the Covid‑19 pandemic, he continued to visit the newsroom, coordinate with reporters, and contribute actively to journalistic work. Sharma also played a prominent role in journalists’ organisations. As General Secretary of the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (2011), he was often at the forefront whenever the media fraternity faced arrests, intimidation, or other challenges. Colleagues recall his unwavering commitment to press freedom and journalists’ rights, noting that he never hesitated to lead protests. Paying tribute, Imphal Times Editor-in-Chief Rinku Khumukcham desc