Sikkim Express editor Amit Patro encouraged young students to develop a habit of reading, ask questions and remain curious during a mentorship session at Middle Syari Government Primary School in Sikkim. Patro interacted with the students as a distinguished guest mentor under the school’s School Development and Mentorship Initiative, which seeks to give students exposure to people and experiences beyond their immediate surroundings. Given the age of the students, Patro said he kept the session brief and conversational, allowing them to ask questions rather than turning it into a formal lecture. “I just told them that they should inculcate the habit of reading. It was more of an interactive session where they asked questions. I tried to encourage the idea of kids asking a lot of questions because it is very important during the learning phase,” he said. Patro also drew on some of the fundamental principles of journalism to speak about values that extend beyond th

Labor’s migration crackdown: deportation focus in delayed overhaul Labor is weighing a tougher migration enforcement package that would boost compliance activity and target visa overstayers for detention and deportation, with the announcement reportedly being closely managed from the top amid concerns about political and economic blowback. The story matters because it signals a sharper “law-and-order” turn in migration policy and foreshadows a major debate about workforce needs, social cohesion and border integrity. Covered by: Sydney Morning Herald, The Age. Weight-loss drugs under scrutiny after suspected links to 60+ deaths New reporting suggests more than 60 Australian deaths may have suspected links to popular weight-loss injections, alongside thousands of severe adverse reaction reports, prompting renewed warnings about off-label use and medical oversight. Beyond the immediate health risk, the revelations collide with a fast-moving policy fight over whether GLP‑1 dr

The media has a critical role in reducing misunderstandings and helping conflicting sides understand each other, senior journalist Yumnam Rupachandra said at a programme organised by the Indigenous People’s Organisation Manipur (IPOM). The discussion was held as part of IPOM’s third Foundation Day programme at Toubungkhok Makha Leikai under the theme The Role of Media in Conflict Resolution. Speakers focused on responsible reporting, verification and the dangers of misinformation in a conflict-affected society. Rupachandra, secretary of the Editors’ Guild Manipur, said the responsibility of journalists becomes even greater during periods of conflict. “The goal is the same... to mitigate misunderstanding, to minimise the impact of conflict, to help end the conflict by being the medium through which conflicting parties reveal their intentions and their ideologies,” he said. He acknowledged that journalists working within conflict zones can themselves b

  Dentsu Creative Isobar has won the integrated creative mandate for premium menswear brand Blackberrys (Mohan Clothing Co. Pvt. Ltd.) following a multi-agency pitch. The account will be serviced by the agency’s Gurgaon office. The mandate will cover brand strategy, ideation, creative development, store branding, end-to-end social media management, annual communication planning, marquee campaigns, UGC strategy, brand activations and production. The partnership will focus on Blackberrys’ ‘Own the Room’ ambition, bringing strategy, creative and social under one team. Integrated campaigns across mainline and social media will begin with the brand’s next marquee campaign. Purvaa Kapadia, VP – Brand Experience, Blackberrys, said the brand wanted a partner that could turn its product and craftsmanship into “modern, culturally relevant storytelling” across platforms. She said Dentsu Creative understood the ‘Own the Room’ amb

Adith Charlie has joined YourStory Media as Managing Editor, bringing over 18 years of experience in digital newsrooms, publishing, and media leadership. Previously, Charlie served as Content Head at Asian News Network Pvt. Ltd. and has also authored two booklets on EU‑India trade relations, one of which was presented at the European Parliament. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Mass Media, a master’s in International Relations, and recently completed IIM Calcutta’s Advanced Programme in AI for Leaders. In his new role, Charlie will oversee newsroom operations, strengthen daily coverage, identify emerging startups, and expand original reporting. He will also lead The CapTable, YourStory’s premium subscription platform focused on in‑depth analysis of India’s new economy, while driving the use of data and AI in storytelling and workflows. Charlie said: “YourStory has had a front‑row seat to India’s startup journey for nearly two decades.

India’s radio broadcasters began FY27 with mixed results as weak advertising demand and macroeconomic uncertainty continued to affect the sector. However, tighter cost controls, diversified revenue streams and integrated marketing solutions helped several players protect profitability.  DB Corp reported an 8.2% year-on-year rise in radio revenue to Rs 42.3 crore, while segment profit grew 36.1% to Rs 10.9 crore. Jagran’s Radio City saw revenue fall 9.7% to Rs 44.5 crore but swung to a comprehensive income of Rs 9.2 crore from a loss of Rs 2.2 crore.  ENIL’s revenue declined 2.7% to Rs 112 crore, while its comprehensive loss narrowed marginally to Rs 5.5 crore. HT Media’s radio revenue rose 2.7% to Rs 31.8 crore, while its loss narrowed to Rs 8 crore.  Broadcasters expect festive advertising, government campaigns and higher marketing activity in the second half of FY27 to support recovery, while continuing to focus on cost discipline and reven

Influencing yesterday had the pleasure of being a part of the latest Worktribes Panel & Networking Event: Searchable, Scalable, Human: Comms That Works With AI.  The event, held at Sling & Stone headquarters in Surry Hills, Sydney, began with an address from Influencing CEO Phil Sim. It was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Worktribes Founder Elle Kress and featuring AWS Communications Manager Matthew Wu, In The Blink of AI host Georgie Healy and Sling & Stone CEO James Hutchinson. The quartet discussed the influence of AI on the Comms World and how to communicate and create effective PR within an AI era, referring it back to three main pillars: Searchable, Scalable, Human, which was then followed by a Q&A session.  Please see some of the photos below from the event: