The Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) on Thursday, Jan 29, refused to stop a criminal defamation case against senior journalists of News18 over a 2017 television news broadcast that accused senior IPS officer Amitabh Yash of allegedly taking bribes. According to Live Law, Amitabh Yash, who is currently an Additional Director General (ADG) in Uttar Pradesh, filed the complaint after a News18 Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh broadcast claimed that he had accepted money to release a Punjab-based criminal linked to the Nabha Jail Break. The journalists approached the High Court seeking cancellation of the summons issued to them by a Lucknow magistrate. They argued that the news was reported in public interest, based on information available at the time, and that Yash was later cleared by a government inquiry. However, the High Court said it cannot decide who is right or wrong at this stage. The court observed that it cannot examine evidence or hold a detailed inquiry while cons

The first Manipur Digital Media Conclave 2026 was held on Thursday, with senior Manipur government officials calling for responsible and fact-based journalism and urging media professionals to avoid publishing unverified news that could adversely affect society. Addressing the conclave, Director of the state’s Directorate of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Ahanthem Subhash Singh, highlighted the damaging impact of unverified reporting, noting that such content can harm individual reputations and cause mental distress. He said journalism has expanded beyond print media, with digital platforms enabling news to reach audiences globally. While acknowledging the growing influence of digital journalism, Singh said producing fast, factual and responsible content has become a major challenge in the digital age, as digital platforms play a significant role in shaping public perception. He also raised concerns that some individuals identifying as digital journalists may be functio

Prasar Bharati has awarded five television channels carriage slots on DD FreeDish through its mid-year e-auctions to use vacant capacity on the free-to-air DTH platform.  According to e4m, the slots have been granted for a two-month period from February 1 to March 31, 2026, to fill vacant capacity on the free-to-air DTH platform.  In the MPEG-2 category, GTC Punjabi and Movieplex were allotted slots. Meanwhile, North East Live, FM News, and K News India received slots under the MPEG-4 category.  The mid-year auctions were held outside the annual cycle and followed a pro-rata mechanism to utilise unused capacity. 

Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   With the annual Union Budget just around the corner, newsrooms across the country are trying to outdo each other in understanding/analysing the Budget and put out the best presentation for their readers. The Budget-day editions are often the most sought-after despite the onslaught of online media and social media interpretations. Ironically, there has really been nothing for journalists to look forward to in any Union Budget of the past several years. As an industry, media gets a share of the Union Budget every year and expectations are high this year too. Industry leaders say they are looking for structural policy corrections that can arrest years of economic erosion, according to Chehneet Kaur for e4m. She adds that across legacy media, the consensus is clear that the next phase of sustainability will depend less on government spending and more on rationalising taxation, fixing pricing frameworks and easing access to capital. Concerns for p

Senior media professional Chandra Mohan, who has spent decades working across leading English and Malayalam newspapers, has received the Arts Icon Puraskaram. The honour was conferred by ARTS Hyderabad, a well-known cultural and literary body representing the Malayalee community in the city. The award was handed over by celebrated author Zachariah, a recipient of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, at Ravindra Bharathi as part of the Golden Cat Awards function. The ceremony was formally opened by Dr T T Sreekumar, professor at the English and Foreign Languages University. The Arts Icon recognition marks Chandra Mohan’s 55 years of service in English and Malayalam journalism, a profession he continues to be associated with. In addition to his journalistic work, he has held the position of Public Relations Officer under four Chief Ministers of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and has also been honoured with a Special Commendation from the President of India. Speakers at the event include

Senior journalist Vijay Rawat has joined NDTV as Executive Editor, where he will head the network’s Hindi website. In his new role, Rawat will report to Santosh Kumar, Senior Managing Editor, NDTV (Hindi Digital), and will focus on strengthening NDTV’s Hindi digital editorial operations, e4m reported. Rawat recently exited the India Today Group after nearly a decade, most recently serving as Executive Editor of aajtak.in. With more than 25 years of experience across print and digital journalism, Rawat has previously worked with Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala, Haribhoomi, and Network18’s Hindi digital platform.

Senior journalist Palki Sharma is set to exit her role as Managing Editor at Firstpost as she prepares to start an independent venture, according to multiple media reports. The announcement was made during an internal town hall held for Firstpost staff on Thursday evening, people familiar with the matter said. Addressing employees, Network18 Chief Content Officer Santosh Menon said Sharma will continue with the organisation until March despite stepping away from her current position. He also announced that Binoy Prabhakar, who earlier served as Chief Content Officer at Hindustan Times Digital, has been appointed to the same role at Firstpost. Meanwhile, Rakesh Rai, presently Executive Editor at Firstpost, is expected to assume the role of Managing Editor at News18.com, as reported by Newslaundry.