The ‘Press Di Azaadi Bahal Karo Sangharsh Committee’ organised a massive protest by forming a human chain outside the SSP office in Bathinda on May 5, against the continuous attacks on journalists by both the Central and State governments. On the occasion, a large number of journalists and leaders from various organisations gathered to raise their voice against what they termed the government’s suppressive attitude towards the press, vowing to protect press freedom. The committee strongly condemned the actions of SSP Jyoti Yadav regarding the shutdown of journalist Maninderjit Singh Sidhu’s social media page. They alleged that the police administration specifically targeted and blocked Sidhu’s page due to his coverage of the Jeond village issue in Bathinda. It was also noted that SSP Jyoti Yadav’s husband, Harjot Singh Bains, serves as the Minister for Information and Public Relations in Punjab. Speakers demanded the immediate restoration of journalists’ Facebook pag

Power Retail, the Melbourne-based masthead for online retail professionals, has been acquired by events and media company Retail Global. Retail Global has signed an agreement that will see it acquire both the brand and company assets of Power Retail.  Retail Global Managing Director Dylan DiPierdomenico told Influencing, “We’re incredibly excited about bringing Power Retail into the Retail Global ecosystem. Power Retail has played an important role in the Australian retail and eCommerce industry for many years through its media, events and community presence, and we saw a strong opportunity to continue building on that foundation.” ASIC records show Power Retail Pty Ltd was placed into liquidation on 30 March 2026, with Adam Cormack and Frank Lo Pilato of RSM Australia appointed as liquidators. Wexted Advisors was appointed as receivers and managers of Power Retail and sister company Click Frenzy, as Influencing previously reported last month.  Click

Image Matrix Tech has unveiled a redesigned website, with founder and editor Djuro Sen shifting away from a dense news layout in favour of a more visual, feature-led design. “In the end, I decided, this is not me because I'm a visual guy. Instead, I needed the feature stories to have more prominence and to stick out,” he told Influencing. Sen explained that items that are a few days old can still reappear later on the site with the redesign.  “When it cycles through down a few layers, it’ll pop up again as a nice stand-out”. So far, the response to the website redesign has been positive, according to Sen.  Image Matrix Tech has shed its former skin of blue and silver for a new orange, black, and white colour scheme.  Sen explained that with his production background and plans for merchandise, black made sense. As did orange, as it “popped.” The two colours also have personal significance for Sen.  “My family grew up in the Toomelah Mission [in Northern NSW]

Thursday, 7 May 2026 #1  ·  Pure Politics / National  ·  In-depth feature 22 Minutes, 88 Hours: Op Sindoor Recasts Warfighting, Modernisation By Manu Pubby   ·   The Economic Times  ·  Page 3 An in-depth examination of how Operation Sindoor has fundamentally reshaped India's armed forces doctrine and procurement priorities, focusing on unmanned warfare, long-range precision weapons, and surge production capacity. The piece details how the 88-hour conflict accelerated procurement timelines, cutting what typically took three years to months, and pushed fast-tracking of drone systems, long-range air defence, and anti-drone technology. It also analyses lessons learned around networked operations, decision-making speed, and force modernisation reforms. Combines exclusive defence-ministry sourcing with granular procurement data and a clear consequential framework showing how a 22-minute strike redrew 88-hour milit

The investigation into the brutal April 28 murder of Andhra Jyothi reporter Jaganmohan Reddy has exposed deep systemic vulnerabilities in Andhra Pradesh’s border policing. While Influencing has learned that the state administration has now pledged Rs. 10 lakh in financial assistance and a contract job for Reddy’s widow, the search for the true masterminds behind the attack faces a significant procedural delay. The Geography of Impunity V. Kota’s location on the tri-state border has long been an operational advantage for criminal networks, allowing them to commit crimes and vanish across state lines. Sources close to the case confirm that the primary suspect, a notorious history-sheeter with extensive links to sandalwood smuggling, communal conflict, and ganja trafficking, exploited this geography. After hacking Reddy to death, the suspect reportedly fled into Karnataka, surrendering in a separate 2021 ganja case to shield himself from immediate interrogation. I

Paramount unifies linear and digital TV sales under Grant Madigan Natasha Lee for Mediaweek reports that Paramount Australia has unified its linear and digital television sales operations under Grant Madigan, who has commenced as Vice President, Sales. Madigan will oversee the Australian sales function and report to Paramount’s Lee Sears, who said the move would create a more cohesive commercial offering for advertisers. Madigan’s direct reports include Nick Bower, Diane Ho and Tamar Hovagimian, covering national sales, digital strategy and commercial partnerships. Paramount said the new structure would give advertisers more flexibility across linear and digital platforms. AI-powered, senior-only agency launches Melania Watson for B&T reports that former DEPT and M+C Saatchi executive Brad Stevens has launched Never. Always., an AI-powered, senior-only digital creative agency. Stevens said the model strips out traditional agency layers, handoffs and junior