Independent journalist and digital content creator Kavya Karnatac said she and her team were asked to leave two hotels in Madhya Pradesh while reporting on the deaths of tribal children and local demands for better healthcare.  In a LinkedIn post, Karnatac said her team was initially booked for three days but was asked to leave within a day, with the hotel citing a family function. After moving to another hotel, the team was again asked to leave after one night. She also alleged that police were checking hotel guest records and asking journalists who had travelled from Delhi to leave.  Her claims come amid scrutiny of the Madhya Pradesh government over the deaths of more than 30 tribal children in Balaghat district. A PIL before the Madhya Pradesh High Court has reportedly raised concerns over inadequate treatment and hospital capacity, with around 400 children allegedly being treated at a facility with 50 beds.  Karnatac said

Poonam Devi, wife of late Dainik Jagran correspondent Harish Singh Bisht, received financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees under Uttarakhand’s Journalist Welfare Fund in Chamoli district.  District Magistrate Gaurav Kumar and Superintendent of Police Surjeet Singh Panwar handed over the bank draft to Poonam Devi on Tuesday. The assistance was approved by the state  Information and Public Relations Department and funded through interest earned on deposits. under the welfare fund. District Information Officer Dheeraj Karki and several local journalists were present at the event.  

Bhaskar Majumdar, a veteran communications professional with 25 years of experience, passed away on September 24 following a prolonged illness. Majumdar was a senior communications consultant who had worked with prominent Indian and global organisations. He served as general manager, corporate communications at Reliance Industries and manager, corporate communications at ESPN Star Sports. According to e4m, he also worked with strategic communications agencies including APCO Worldwide, Genesis PR, Vaishnavi Corporate Communications and Adfactors PR. His work was recognised by industry forums including the Davos Digital PR Awards, Campaign Asia Awards and SABRE Asia. Majumdar also mentored emerging professionals and lectured at institutions including IIMC, India Today Institute, GGSIP University and the Delhi School of Communication. He was named among e4m’s Top 100 Influential Game Changers in PR & Corporate Communications from 2020 to 2024. 

Friday, 25 September 2026 #1  ·  Times City  ·  Investigative / Ground report Lapses turn sleeper buses into moving coffins By Abhijay Jha & TN Mohammed Ishan   ·   Times of India, New Delhi  ·  Page Page 8 Following the Yamuna Expressway bus fire that killed nine passengers, TOI reporters conducted a ground-level spot check of AC sleeper buses at Kaushambi depot, Noida Sector 37, and on Yamuna Expressway, documenting jammed fire extinguishers, flammable plywood ceilings, rusted emergency exits, and staff ignorant of basic safety protocols. The investigation also reveals that the fatal bus carried over 60 traffic challans, 20 unpaid, and that RTO inspections cover only tyre pressure and brakes, not AC or battery panels — the two leading fire causes. The story further exposes how buses originating in Delhi pick up passengers along Noida expressways as transit points, evading Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nag

Artificial intelligence can refine information, while WhatsApp and social media can distribute it within seconds. But neither can replace the fundamental work of journalism: being on the ground, developing sources, asking questions and independently verifying what happened, says The Free Press Journal correspondent Raina Assainar. “AI does not give you information. AI just refines your information,” Assainar said during an Influencing Insider conversation. For Assainar, the distinction is straightforward. When an accident or breaking-news event occurs, information must first come from people at the scene. AI can help process or present that material, but it cannot independently establish what happened without information gathered by people. That distinction has become increasingly important as digital platforms make basic information available almost instantly. Assainar believes a journalist's value now lies in going beyond what is already circulating, developing

Dipti Raut, senior journalist and city incharge with Dainik Bhaskar Group’s Marathi newspaper Divya Marathi, won the first prize at The Statesman Awards for Rural Reporting 2025 on September 16, 2026, for her investigation into unsafe childbirth practices in rural Maharashtra. The story took Raut nearly two years to report and led her deep into remote tribal areas of Nandurbar district, where she documented childbirth practices that are difficult to imagine in a state known for its progressive healthcare system. What began as a small lead in 2024 eventually became an investigation into a reality that, in her words, many would find difficult to believe. “The first most difficult issue, it is not a question, the issue is the perspective. We, being a very progressive and modern state of Maharashtra, nobody believes that such a kind of ground reality will be existing,” she said. Raut first learnt about the issue during a review meeting attended by former Maharashtra health mini

Amid frequent criticism and political exchanges on social media, a conversation between The Followup senior journalist Sunny Sharad and Jharkhand Transport Minister Deepak Birua on X drew attention for its focus on public transport.  Sharad shared a photograph of the PM E-Bus service operating in Patna and questioned why Ranchi could not have similar services. He also highlighted the need to improve public transport and address the difficulties faced by commuters during VIP movements.  Responding to the post, Birua said the state’s Transport Department was working to strengthen public transport and improve facilities for passengers. He thanked the journalist for raising the issue and said the public would soon see the government’s efforts on the ground.  Following reactions from users, Birua said the government was considering public feedback and working towards implementing the suggestions. He also referred to a review