Business is firmly in the spotlight in today's news - both legal and illegal - so for a change let's start with Melbourne's Herald Sun and the so-called tobacco wars, which takes up almost all its front page and more inside, with a dramatic all caps headline and a picture of staff at a Country store who have, as journalist Regan Hodge put it, "lifted the lid on how an underworld cartel is terrorising small businesses". The store suffered a ram raid after ignoring "a chilling order" from crime kingpin Kaz Hamad's goons, claims Hodge. What chilled me the most, purely as a journalist you understand, is that the goons can't spell. Indeed, the shop owners believed the note to be the work of a child, given the scrappy writing and the fact they couldn't even correctly spell the name of their gang group - The Commission. But then came the ram raid. All of this against the background of an extortion tactic revolving around illegal tobacco and trying to get shops like the one hit - w

ABC Science Editor Jonathan Webb believes the broadcaster’s The Science Show half a century of broadcasting years is incredible, especially when you consider not many programs, let alone science programs, ever touch such a lengthy milestone. It has also been the launch-pad for several journalists and it’s been led by Robyn Williams since it began. “It’s remarkable that the same presenter, Robyn Williams, has been at the helm of the show that entire time. He’s remarkable, and we've been celebrating all of his achievements. But there have been a number of producers who have worked on the show over the years,” Webb told Influencing in a chat about the show’s longevity.  “There's been a whole range of amazing contributors and contributions from institutional ones helping make connections that have launched careers or established museums, through to investigative journalism and award-winning reporting.”  Webb believes the longevity, and the fact the show is on week

Australia's media landscape - already dominated by big media groups, which makes it the world's least competitive - is about to become even more concentrated with a bid to merge Seven West and Southern Cross Media, and it's got some decent coverage this morning, though not in all the dailies by any means. Going very big on the story is Nine's Australian Financial Review. I mention Nine there because if the merger does go ahead - regulators need to approve it - it's snatched potential ownership of well-performing SCM from Nine, which at the moment has bulging pockets following the sale of Domain and was reckoned to be looking at the radio-based broadcaster.   The AFR's coverage is extensive and insightful - it has the complete story, plus brilliant commentary too, and even a feature on Seven West founder billionaire Kerry Stokes.   That coverage begins on page one with a piece from Sam Buckingham-Jones and Anthony Macdonald ('Investors fume over media deal')  which the

Editors and recruiters increasingly weigh a journalist’s online footprint alongside reporting chops. A strong personal handle on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or LinkedIn can extend a story’s reach beyond a publication’s own channels and pull new readers into the funnel. That upside is real but so are the risks of over-indexing on follower counts at the expense of credibility and craft. Personal distribution matters. Reporters with engaged audiences can lift engagement on day one, help with sourcing and accelerate feedback loops on beats. “Over the past decade, and more prominently in the post-COVID era, it has been strongly observed that social media reach has become a key factor not just in politics or the film industry but in journalism as well,” says Jaideep Pandey, an independent journalist from Lucknow. Traditionally, work experience, bylines and professional exposure were considered the primary criteria for selecting a reporter or desk professional. “However,

The Delhi High Court has awarded Rs 5 lakh as compensation to TV Today for a series of defamatory tweets against the channel and senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. The Judgement, delivered by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav, stated that the tweets were “highly defamatory”, causing reputational harm to the journalist and to the media group, Bar and Bench reported. "The Court finds that the objectionable tweets were highly defamatory and remain unsubstantiated by the defendant, despite having been afforded sufficient opportunity to do so Such an irresponsible act of the defendant has to be deprecated ... Having considered the overall circumstances, this Court deems it just and proper to award ₹5,00,000 as general compensatory damages to the plaintiff, to redress the reputational harm, emotional hardship, and loss of professional credibility caused by the conduct of the defendant," the September 3 order said. The defamation case was initiated in 2020 by TV Today against A

Image source: TNIE, Ladakh Express and The Hindu; Edited by Dinesh Raj M   A region that once symbolised India’s post-2019 restructuring has erupted in grief, anger and suspicion. The September 24 protests in Leh demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule protections ended in police firing, leaving four dead and more than 80 injured. Days later, Ladakh’s Apex Body Leh (ABL) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) withdrew from scheduled talks with the Centre, citing the government’s refusal to order an independent probe. The arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk under the National Security Act has only deepened mistrust, fuelling charges of “false narratives” and foreign conspiracy theories. Hot off the Press Naseer Ganai for The Times of India reported that the ABL demanded a judicial inquiry by a retired Supreme Court judge into the firing, along with the release of arrested youth and the withdrawal of the “anti-national” tag slapped on protestors. Co-chair Chering

Seven West Media (SWM) and Southern Cross Media (SCA) have agreed to merge in a deal - if approved by regulators - which will see one of Australia’s largest integrated media companies, combining free-to-air TV, audio, streaming, digital and publishing – and bringing together metro and regional under one umbrella. Heith Mackay-Cruise will take over as board chair of the merged company next year.   The combined group will target the core 25–54 demographic, offering what both sides are calling a “one stop shop” for advertisers. Both boards have signed off on the proposed merger, with Kerry Stokes AC confirming SWM’s unanimous support. “The combination of these two companies brings together the best creators of media content in the country, delivering significant financial and strategic benefits for SWM shareholders,” Stokes said. “This is an important merger, as the combined company will be better able to serve both metropolitan and regional viewers, listene