The 15th edition of the Journalists’ Sports Meet 2026 organised by the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union concluded on March 5 after five days of competitions, with The Sangai Express emerging as the overall team champion. Influencing India earlier reported that the event began on March 3 at the Manipur Press Club with a ceremonial torch relay from Kangla Fort and aimed to promote camaraderie among media professionals. Competitions were held in athletics, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, chess, cricket and football. The Sangai Express secured seven gold medals to win the title. SKTv finished second with five gold medals, while Media Unified secured third place. The Sangai Express also won the football final against Media Unified, Imphal Times reported.

Shankar, a reporter with Republic TV, cameraperson Mani and boat driver Radhakrishnan were arrested on Saturday for allegedly entering a restricted high security zone near Kochi port to film an Iranian naval vessel. According to police, the trio used a rented boat to enter the Southern Coal Berth area, where they reportedly filmed and photographed the Iranian ship IRIS Lavan, which docked at the port earlier this week. Security personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force noticed the boat in the prohibited zone and detained them before handing them over to the Harbour Police in Kochi, Scroll reported.

The All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) celebrated International Women’s Day at the Manipur Press Club on March 8 under the theme “Give to Gain.” As part of the programme, women working in various media houses in different capacities were honoured with gifts as a token of appreciation for their contributions to the media sector. Speaking at the event as one of the presidium members, Khumanthem Daina, Director of the Transport Department, said that empowering women requires mutual support among women themselves. She noted that although the condition of women has improved significantly compared to the past, much more needs to be done to address the challenges faced by women in society. Similarly, a special programme to honour women journalists was organised at Praja Bhavan in Hyderabad. During the programme, journalist Uma Sudhir was among several Telugu women journalists felicitated. Speaking during the occasion, CM assured that the long-pending issue of house s

Stories shape how societies understand power, identity and progress. In today’s rapidly evolving media ecosystem, women are not merely participating in those narratives, they are increasingly directing them. Across journalism, publishing, and public relations, women are building platforms, guiding brand communication, and shaping policy conversations through storytelling. From independent media ventures to global advocacy campaigns, their work reflects a growing shift: influence in the media landscape is no longer limited to traditional newsrooms. To explore how women are redefining storytelling across journalism and communications, Influencing India spoke to journalists, editors, publishers, and PR professionals whose work spans advocacy reporting, digital media, and brand communication. Their experiences reveal how storytelling is evolving -- becoming more accountable, more inclusive, and more deeply connected to the realities people live every day. Storytelling, Credibil

The Press Media Editors and Journalists Association has written to Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, seeking immediate distribution of the state’s pending journalism awards.  According to HelloMumbai, Association president Gorakh Taware said that although the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations announced award winners for 2019–2023, the felicitation ceremony has not yet been held, leaving recipients waiting for years.  The association has urged the government to organise the award ceremony soon and recognise journalists across categories, including the Atal Bihari Vajpayee National Journalism Award, to maintain the morale of the media fraternity. 

Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   For one full month, the volume knob on Indian television news has been turned down -- not by editorial wisdom, but by regulation. On March 6, 2026, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) to suspend TV ratings for all news channels for four weeks. The trigger, according to the ministry, was “unwarranted sensationalism and speculative reporting” during coverage of the escalating Israel-Iran conflict. The order invokes Clause 24.2 of the 2014 Television Rating Agency Guidelines, which allows the government to direct rating agencies in exceptional circumstances. In plain English: the TRP scoreboard has been temporarily switched off. That matters more than it sounds. In Indian television news, TRPs are not just metrics. They are currency. Advertising rates, newsroom priorities and even anchor behaviour revolve around weekly ratings. Take that away, and the entire ecosystem bri

The Mumbai Cricket Association unveiled an Honours Board for former sports journalists of Mumbai at the Balasaheb Thackeray Press Box at Wankhede Stadium during a special ceremony attended by senior members of the cricket and media fraternity on March 4.   The honour board features the names of late veteran sports reporters and photojournalists who contributed to the growth of cricket from grassroots to the state level over the years. Among those inducted are KN Prabhu, Sundar Rajan, GK Menon, Pradeep K Vijayakar and Rajan Bala. The board will remain displayed at the media centre as a permanent tribute to the city’s sports journalists.  According to The New Indian Express, the event was attended by MCA president Ajinkya Naik, secretary Prof Dr. Unmesh Khanvilkar, joint secretary Nilesh Bhosle, members of the Apex Council and journalists present for the India vs England T20 World Cup semifinal.  Naik said Mumbai’s cricket legacy was shaped not only b