Employees of Madhyamam have begun an indefinite strike, alleging eight months of unpaid salaries for permanent staff and pressure on employees to resign and return on contracts with lower pay and fewer benefits.   The protest began on Thursday outside the newspaper’s head office in Vellimadukunnu, with employees saying repeated discussions with the management had failed to resolve their long-pending demands.   Reji K P, Madhyamam’s Kottayam Chief of News Bureau and president of the Kerala Union of Working Journalists, told Influencing India that the salary crisis began in January 2026.   He alleged that around 200 permanent employees were pressured to resign during this period, with more than 50 employees across different positions subsequently re-employed on contracts.   According to Reji, permanent employees across the organisation’s units, including Delhi, have now gone without regular salaries for eight months. Portions of the January salary were paid in ins

For senior journalist and editor Patricia Mukhim, journalism has never been about choosing the safest words. It has meant asking uncomfortable questions, standing with those she believes are being wronged and speaking even when doing so comes at a cost. In a recent episode of Influencing Insider, Mukhim, editor of The Shillong Times and Padma Shri awardee, reflected on the backlash she faced after an earlier article on tourism in Meghalaya was brought back into the public discourse following violence in Shillong. The article, titled “Meghalaya Can Do Without Maggie Noodle Tourism”, was written in 2024 after Mukhim witnessed tourists cooking by the roadside near Umiam Lake and leaving behind plastic waste. Her argument, she said, was not directed at any particular state or community but at a model of tourism that brought visitors into Meghalaya without contributing meaningfully to its local economy or accounting for its ecological impact. “I write what I feel,” Mukhim said

The Journalists Union of Sikkim (JUS) has expressed concern over two separate incidents involving journalists in New Delhi and called for fair and impartial inquiries into the allegations. In a statement issued on September 5, the union said two women journalists, Shaheen Khan and Nafisa Khan, had alleged that they were detained and assaulted by Delhi Police personnel at Saket Police Station on September 3 while covering a public event in South Delhi. The journalists, who were on assignment for 4PM News Network, alleged that they were taken to the police station and physically assaulted. They also raised allegations of identity and community-based remarks during the incident. Delhi Police has denied the allegations, describing them as baseless and factually incorrect. According to the police, the journalists were taken to the police station after their scooter allegedly obstructed a designated VVIP security route despite repeated instructions to move it. Police also denied that th

The Chandigarh Press Club has condemned an alleged attack on press freedom and expressed solidarity with journalist Jagwinder Patial. The club said such incidents raise serious concerns about the safety and freedom of journalists while carrying out their professional duties.   It stressed that journalists must be able to perform their responsibilities without fear or pressure. The Press Club also stood with Patial and called for respect for press freedom.   According to Punjab News Express, the statement comes amid concerns over the treatment of journalists and the challenges they face while reporting. The club reiterated the importance of protecting the rights of media professionals and ensuring that they can work independently. It said any action that affects the freedom of the press should be viewed seriously.   The Chandigarh Press Club maintained that journalists should be allowed to discharge their duties without interference or intimidation.  

Big Tech faces $100m hit as Albanese tightens online safety laws The federal government is moving on a “Digital Duty of Care” that would empower the eSafety Commissioner and slug social media platforms with fines of more than $100 million if they fail to remove harmful or illegal content and enforce the under-16 ban. A key political flashpoint is whether Australians should be able to opt in (or out) of algorithm-driven feeds, with the Coalition warning of censorship while Labor weighs Greens demands. Covered by: Courier Mail, Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Australian, Daily Telegraph, The Advertiser. Debt “perfect storm” sparks credit-crunch warnings Economists are warning that rising government borrowing needs, higher bond yields and intense competition for capital—fuelled by massive AI-related investment—could tip markets into a global credit crunch. The story lands as a broader anxiety about financial stability and the cost of capital, with implications for house

The Australian has produced evidence from the Australian Federal Police that the alleged counter-terrorism raid at the centre of reporting from former ABC journalist Mahmood Fazal, never happened. And while Fazal is prepared to correct his "misunderstanding", the ABC has not made such admissions. In 2021, the former Four Corners journalist wrote a report claiming he had been handcuffed and prevented from reporting, during what was claimed to be a targeted counter-terrorism raid conducted by police on the Gold Coast. The AFP told The Australian’s Michael McKenna and James Madden that after extensive searching of warrants within its archives, it had determined the raid did not take place. Rather it appears Fazal was a part of a group of people living at a Gold Coast residence raided for illegal firearms and drugs. In an item published today, Fazal wrote, “These events occurred almost 10 years ago, and if my understanding of which unit conducted the operation o

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday sought an assurance from the West Bengal government that no coercive action would be taken against Anandabazar Patrika journalists facing FIRs over the use of the phrase “saffron hooliganism”, as long as they cooperate with the notices issued to them. The assurance was given by Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Mazumdar during the hearing of a petition filed by the journalists. Senior Advocate S N Mookherjee, appearing for the journalists along with Advocates Arunabha Deb and Ashika Daga, told the Court that the FIRs were registered on allegations of incitement, as if the journalists had insulted sanyasis across the country. Mookherjee also told the Court that his office had been painted saffron by protestors. The Court asked whether the journalists were seeking any special protection. Mookherjee said they were not seeking any special privilege and only wanted protection available to an ordinary citizen. The State opposed any blanket pro