Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   Come winter, the country gets slammed with festivals celebrating the arts, cinema and literature. Beginning with the International Film Festival of India that typically happens in November to the various literary festivals that have now mushroomed all over the country from remote hilly areas like Wayanad to the mother-of-all-lit fests, the Jaipur Literature Festival, that usually takes place sometime in January-February, there is a festival to suit everyone's artistic taste and style these days. If one were to go by the media reports that have appeared so far this week, yet another festival has been added to this long list and this one is dedicated to journalism. The Global Festival of Journalism and AVGC Noida 2026 opened with much fanfare on Monday, according to media reports, most of which came with a disclaimer that the media houses were in no way responsible for the authenticity of the published content. Pleasantly surprised at finally

TechDay has welcomed back Anthony Caruana and Donovan Jackson to the outlet, where the two journalists are Interview Editors.  Both will work in a part-time capacity and replace Melania Watson, who has joined media publication B&T as senior reporter. Caruana told Influencing he was pleased to rejoin TechDay, with the opportunity offered after a chat with TechDay Publisher Sean Mitchell.  “Sean mentioned to me, knowing I was finishing up with Media-Wize, it would be nice to have you back on board, and it just happened. “It's very well organised… They've got a great toolkit behind the scenes, and I'm pretty excited to be working in an environment that's so switched on and modern.” Jackson also said he was very excited to be rejoining the masthead.  “To rejoin is great because Sean's built a fantastic business there, and a fantastic team. He runs a very tight ship with a high level of automation, and he places a high level of trust in his people.   “I’m loo

A woman journalist covering a protest at Delhi University’s North Campus was allegedly attacked during a clash between rival student groups on Friday afternoon. The protest was held in support of the University Grants Commission’s equity regulations.  Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad claimed left-wing activists attacked the reporter after she questioned protesters, and demanded police action. In response, All India Students’ Association said right-wing students also assaulted its members, claiming its DU secretary was hurt while stepping in to help the journalist.  According to the Times of India, the group also claimed police failed to intervene as students attempted to register a complaint. Police said the journalist’s medico-legal case has been registered and confirmed an investigation is underway. Authorities stated legal action will be taken based on the outcome of the probe. 

Picture Credit: Australia India News  Senior journalist and author Harish Chandra Burnwal was awarded a PhD on Sunday for his research analysing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s monthly radio programme and its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The doctorate was conferred by Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J. P. Nadda during the convocation ceremony of Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies in Faridabad, Haryana. Burnwal’s dissertation studied 53 episodes aired between 2014 and 2019, examining how themes such as sanitation, education, women’s empowerment, health and environmental awareness were communicated through the broadcast. The study noted sanitation as the most frequently discussed topic, followed by education and women’s empowerment. According to the institute, the research is the first academic attempt to statistically link the SDGs with the PM’s radio outreach and is expected to benefit student

  Journalist Ravi Nair on Friday secured bail after a magisterial court in Mansa, Gandhinagar district, suspended his February 10 conviction in a criminal defamation case, enabling him to approach the Sessions court with an appeal within a month. Nair had moved an application seeking suspension of the sentence, which the court allowed. The stay on the conviction will remain in effect for one month, till March 11. Earlier, on February 10, the same court had convicted Nair of criminal defamation based on a complaint filed by Adani Enterprises Ltd. The case relates to a series of social media posts made between October 2020 and July 2021, along with articles published on a website, which the company alleged were defamatory, The Indian Express reported.

In a fresh call to the fraternity, Editors Club of India invited journalists to register as members, positioning the move as a step towards strengthening independent and fearless journalism. The organisation also shared a QR code for quick enrolment, encouraging media professionals to join the collective effort.  The body framed membership not merely as enrolment, but as participation in defending truth, professional solidarity and public trust at a time when credible reporting remains under pressure. 

The Training Cell of the Press Club of India (PCI), in collaboration with Software Freedom Law Centre (Sflc), India, will organise a free Digital Security training session for journalists on February 21. Scheduled from 12 pm to 2 pm at the Press Club of India, the session will focus on securing devices and accounts, safe handling of sensitive information, secure communication with sources, and reducing risks such as online harassment and doxxing. Participants will also learn practical digital safety practices for investigative and field reporting. This programme marks the first in a series of training, up-skilling and co-learning sessions planned by PCI this year. PCI members, journalists and journalism students can enroll by scanning the QR code provided in the poster.