Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   Any journalist worth his or her salt would have a long file of defamation suits they have faced over their career. Some even consider it as a mark of honour for fearless reporting and, more often that not, these cases end up in a compromise after the initial showdown. In India, reporters and editors frequently face defamation lawsuits, often as a tactic to silence critical reporting, with cases involving public figures, corporations, and even police alleging harm to their reputation though legal defenses like "truth" and "fair comment" are crucial for journalists, who argue their work serves the public interest and should be protected, even if facts are "unpalatable". Though rare, there are certain situations when a journalist is forced to file a defamation suit to protect his or her reputation in this era of social media outpour when everyone with an opinion has a mouthful to offload. Last week, the Delhi High C

  A controversy has erupted after journalists were allegedly insulted and manhandled during a press conference attended by senior Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, NDTV reported. The incident occurred at a private hotel during an event linked to the Vikasit Bharat Rozgar Evam Aajeevika Mission Guarantee Scheme (VB‑JIRAMJI). Journalists present said tensions began even before the programme started, when the minister’s social media in‑charge, Lakshmi, allegedly created a dispute over seating arrangements. After the press conference concluded, reporters attempted to ask questions about the Bhojshala‑Kamal Maulana Mosque issue ahead of Basant Panchami (January 23) and the Congress’s Nyay Yatra. Vijayvargiya reportedly left the stage without responding. Soon after, journalists allege that his social media in‑charge and security staff misbehaved, used abusive language, and physically pushed some reporters. The incident sparked anger among media persons, wh

MLA Asif (Raju) Sait said “Journalists should act as the voice of North Karnataka and help inform the public about the many issues faced by districts in the region” in Belagavi on Monday. As per The Hindu, he said journalists must raise questions about the injustice faced by North Karnataka under successive governments. According to him, this has created a situation where some people are demanding a separate North Karnataka state. While he does not support such demands, he believes strong and concrete steps are needed to address the problems and correct the situation.

Two senior journalists from The Federal Karnataka have been honoured with prestigious journalism awards in recognition of their outstanding work.   Naveen Ammembala, Associate Editor and head of The Federal Karnataka’s Kannada edition, received the Bengaluru Press Club Annual Award (2025) for his impactful special reports and editorial excellence. With over 28 years of experience, Ammembala’s extensive reporting includes coverage of major events such as the IISc terror attack and the murder of an IT professional in 2005, as well as significant investigative work on issues like the Kolar tomato farmers’ distress, the MUDA scam and the disappearance of key government documents. His award was presented by Basavaraj Horatti, Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council, at a ceremony recognising distinguished media professionals.   Prabhu Swamy Natekar, Senior Correspondent with The Federal Karnataka, was selected for the Karnataka Media Academy A

Chris Griffith has gone bigger and better with his AI Chatbot, the Griffbot, releasing a second upgraded version.  The Griffbot was initially launched in August as a way for Griffith’s website guests to ask questions about any of his reporting efforts, with the journo referring to it as “a Q&A session.”  But he says V2 is even better.   “It’s faster and more reliable,” he told Influencing. “I went to a more specialised platform in BotPress, which is a fairly powerful development platform for AI chatbots. It was pretty reliable and uses localised databases.”  In his experience using the BotPress platform, he found that a user is able to extend capabilities by adding code themselves.  “There’s the ability to ask for a transcript, or email from within, and that could be extended to a business or a user who wants to download some standard documents instead of contacting people via phone.”  He added, “If you build up your own repertoire of add-ons,

  Man of Many, The Australian men’s lifestyle publication, has appointed seasoned digital editor and strategist, Rob Stott as editor in chief. Stott replaces Nick Hall, who left the business at the end of 2025 after six years. The appointment marks a shift for the publisher, as it moves to evolve its editorial voice and expand its multi-platform footprint. Stott will lead a major strategic push into original video and audio content, targeting growth across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and podcasting platforms. This expansion is designed to meet the rising consumer demand for high-production visual storytelling and immersive audio experiences. “Man of Many has been Australia’s premier men’s lifestyle brand for over a decade now, and I’m thrilled to be joining as Editor in Chief,” Stott said.  “I’m very fortunate to be taking the reins at such a well-established brand, with a well-deserved reputation for creating

Welcome to Friday and for a change we'll start with The Canberra Times which - like most of the papers today - focuses on the proposed hate speech laws which appear to have become bogged down because the government can't secure the support of either The Greens or the Opposition, and given each party/group have their own separate reasons there's no clear path forward, at least not today. The CT's front page story on that, and a clever enough headline ('Double jeopardy for PM'), is by Grace Crivellaro, Zac de Silva and Tess Ikonomou. But also on the Times's front page is a picture of bomb squad officers searching for pipe bombs, after both exploded and unexploded pipes have been found. One of the senior cops on the hunt says with with a good serve of understatement: "an explosive in a public place does raise a lot of concern for police". That story is, 'Inside' says the Times, without giving a page number, which can be a bit irrita