India's vernacular news and content market is on track to more than double in the next five years, even as journalism schools across the country scale back regional-language courses. A Ken Research report projects the market growing from $1.35 billion in 2025 to $3.125 billion by 2031, at a projected 15.01 per cent CAGR through the period, down from the 18 per cent CAGR recorded between 2020 and 2025, when pandemic-driven digital adoption, cheaper mobile data and the rise of regional video platforms fuelled growth. Future growth, the report says, will be increasingly driven by monetisation rather than new audiences, with short-form video, hyperlocal news and voice-led discovery expected to outpace text formats, and AI-powered translation and speech tools helping publishers reach smaller language markets. Journalism classrooms tell a different story. The Indian Institute of Mass Communication's Delhi campus discontinued its Urdu journalism course in July; its Nagpur campus has anno

Thursday, 20 August 2026 #1  ·  Front Page  ·  In-depth feature NET row: AI used recklessly to draft questions, say experts By Himanshi Dhawan   ·   Times of India, Delhi  ·  Page 1 The story examines the controversy over the use of AI in drafting questions for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NET), with education experts and officials alleging that AI was used recklessly in setting the paper. The piece draws on expert commentary, official responses, and data on error rates in previous years to frame systemic concerns about AI deployment in high-stakes examinations. NTA denies AI use while pointing to official citations. The story goes beyond breaking-news coverage by sourcing multiple education experts and unpacking how AI-generated questions fail quality checks, giving it genuine analytical heft on a nationally significant examination controversy. #2  ·  My India  ·&nbs

The Press Information Bureau (PIB), Dehradun, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, will organise a one‑day regional media workshop, Vartalaap, in Gopeshwar, Chamoli district, on August 20. The workshop will bring together print, electronic, and digital media professionals working in rural and border areas. Its aim is to strengthen dialogue between the government and local media while providing journalists with authentic information on welfare schemes, policies, and development initiatives. Key focus areas include women, farmers, and youth empowerment, healthcare, GI tags, and the One District One Product initiative. Discussions will also cover flagship schemes such as Ayushman Bharat, National Health Mission, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana, and the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. PIB Assistant Director Sanjeev Sundriyal said such workshops help journalists access accurate information and improve grassroots‑level covera

On August 18, journalists in Bageshwar paid tribute to the 18 children who lost their lives in the Sumgarh school tragedy, marking the 16th anniversary of the incident. The District Journalists’ Association and the Nationalist Union of Journalists organised a remembrance programme at the tehsil complex, where journalists and local residents observed a two‑minute silence and offered prayers. Trees were planted in memory of the victims. Association president Deepak Pathak said the programme has been held annually for 16 years to honour the children and raise awareness about disaster safety. He emphasised the importance of prioritising school and child safety in disaster‑prone areas, Dainik Bhaskar reported.

Swans scandal explodes: players stood down as police investigate Sydney Swans’ premiership tilt has been thrown into chaos after five players were suspended for the rest of the season amid a police investigation into an alleged sexual assault linked to a post-game hotel incident. The story has quickly widened beyond sport into questions of duty of care, workplace culture and the AFL’s integrity response, with sponsors already moving to protect their brands. Covered by: Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Daily Telegraph, The Advertiser, The West Australian, Herald Sun, Australian Financial Review, The Australian, NT News, Courier Mail. Australia’s debt hits $1 trillion — and interest costs bite Federal debt has passed $1 trillion for the first time, sharpening the political fight over spending restraint, tax settings and the cost of servicing borrowings as rates stay higher for longer. In parallel, states face their own refinancing crunch as cheap COVID-era loans roll off, raisi

The 34th Indian Printers Summit, organised by WAN-IFRA, will bring together around 300 professionals from the newspaper publishing, printing, advertising and distribution sectors in Pune on September 9 and 10. The summit will focus on key challenges facing the news publishing industry, including advertising revenue, audience growth, artificial intelligence, production efficiency, sustainability and newspaper distribution. A new Advertising and Distribution Masterclass will examine ways to build sustainable business models and improve audience reach. Sessions will include a discussion on The Times of India’s distribution network and a panel of next-generation leaders from Sakal Media Group, Mathrubhumi and Eenadu on attracting younger audiences. Editors and industry leaders from organisations including The Hindu, Dainik Bhaskar, ABP, India Today and HT Media are also scheduled to participate, Indian Printer Publisher reported.    

Seven West Media tried more than once to buy The Post, the much-loved local newspaper of Perth’s affluent Western Suburbs. "They've certainly made approaches," Bret Christian, The Post’s founder and long-time owner, says. "And they've made firm offers." So, why not take the money and run? "We're in a position of having created an independent news organisation for our suburbs and our readers, and advertisers too, who really value us," he says. "There's a responsibility. I don't think I can walk down the street if I sold out to the monopoly. There's something beyond money — there's responsibilities as a journalist, and a purveyor of independent news." Monopoly rents   Christian founded the Post aged 28 in 1977, out of a house in Subiaco, after 11 years as a reporter and columnist on Perth’s evening daily, the Daily News. Just shy of five decades on, it runs to 70-odd pages a week, di