Scroll through any social media feed today and one thing stands out — influence is no longer driven by scale alone, but by credibility. For PR and communications teams, this marks a clear shift. Influencers are no longer just channels used to amplify campaigns. They have become embedded in the storytelling process, shaping how audiences perceive brands in real time. This evolution is being driven by a simple reality: audiences have become far more discerning. Content that feels scripted or transactional is quickly ignored, while narratives that feel authentic and culturally relevant are more likely to resonate. As a result, influencer marketing is moving away from visibility-driven campaigns toward trust-led collaborations.  Authenticity Over Algorithms   Joshika Kapoor, Founder of One PR, has seen this shift play out in how brands evaluate success. “In today’s landscape, it’s less about follower count and more about community trust, releva

Image of the Day India accounted for three of the five most-polluted cities globally and 29 of the top 50. Picture by -Sunil Ghosh - Hindustan Times    AI Flags, Police Act: Telangana’s rapid response saves over 100 lives Minutes after a Warangal student posted a video of a suicide attempt, police reached his home and saved him. In Mahabubnagar, a similar alert from a social media video helped police track and hospitalise a young man in time. These are not isolated rescues. They are part of a rapidly evolving system where distress signals posted online are converted into real-world interventions. Since November, the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) has received 89 such alerts and rescued 76 individuals, according to the Telangana Socio Economic Outlook 2026. With subsequent interventions, officials say 106 people have been saved in just five months. At the centre of this system is a continuous, AI-driven monitoring mechanism developed in collaboration with Meta. Th

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has upheld the acquittal of the chief editor of Him Himwanti newspaper in a defamation case. The court said that publishing information in truth and good faith, without intent to harm, does not amount to defamation under the law. Justice Sandeep Sharma was hearing a plea challenging a trial court order that had cleared the editor of charges related to alleged false corruption reports. The court observed that opinions expressed in good faith about a public servant’s conduct are not defamation. It also noted that the complainant failed to prove any intent to harm, and upheld the trial court’s decision, The Indian Express reported.

News is no longer produced only inside newsrooms backed by cameras, editors, and broadcast schedules. Today, it often begins with a single post. Across cities, towns, and neighbourhoods, ordinary people are documenting events as they happen and sharing them instantly on Twitter. From road accidents to local protests, eyewitness updates frequently appear online before news crews arrive, allowing information to spread rapidly and reach large audiences within minutes. Twitter’s format plays a key role in this shift. Its speed and accessibility allow users to post updates in real time, turning individual observations into wider public conversations. What starts as a single tweet can quickly gain traction, prompting responses, discussions, and, in some cases, action. Professional journalists have also adapted. Many now monitor Twitter to identify emerging stories, track conversations, and access on-ground visuals. Citizen posts often act as early signals, helping newsrooms pick u

Image edited by Dinesh Raj M   There's an old saying in newsrooms: the press never sleeps. But right now, across India, some of them might have to. The US-Israel-Iran war playing out in the skies and on the ground thousands of kilometres from Delhi has reached all the way into the pressrooms of Indian newspapers and magazines through a rather unglamorous pipeline: LPG. The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant chunk of India's gas imports travel, has been choked by the conflict, triggering cascading shortages that the Indian government is now scrambling to triage. Hospitals get gas. Homes get gas. Schools get gas. Newspaper presses? They're in the queue, somewhere behind tile factories and rum distilleries, under the catch-all label of "general industrial use." The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) and the Association of Indian Magazines (AIM) are not being dramatic when they say this is a crisis. Heat-set web offset presses, the kind used to prod

It's all about petrol pain today with News Limited papers across the country, going front page with John Rolfe's exclusive that the government could allow motorists as little as $40 worth of fuel as part of national regulated fuel rationing. Wednesday 25 March 2026 National   The Australian Confidence killer Greg Brown and Matthew Cranston highlights how markets remain sceptical of Donald Trump’s claims of progress in talks with Iran to end the war, as crude oil prices surge and Australia’s treasurer warns the conflict’s economic fallout could rival Covid or the GFC. PM embraces his European ideals Greg Sheridan reports that Anthony Albanese’s agreements with Europe are portrayed as pushing Australia toward Europe’s troubled economic and political approach. Australia must ‘get China right’, Europe chief Ben Packham and Rosie Lewis reports that a European leader says Australia needs to handle relations with China corre

Image credit: Deccan Herald The passing of S. Thyagarajan at 85 marks the end of an era in Indian sports journalism. Revered as “Mr Dependable”, he embodied the values of integrity, diligence, and clarity that defined the very best of the profession. Over five decades with The Hindu, Thyagarajan chronicled Indian sport with unmatched depth and precision. From grassroots tournaments to the grand stages of six Olympic Games and nine Asian Games, his reporting carried a distinctive style that brought matches alive for readers. His alliterative flair and measured criticism made him not just a chronicler of events, but a trusted interpreter of the game. Though he wrote across disciplines, hockey was his true canvas. His coverage of the sport earned him respect globally, with the International Hockey Federation and the Asian Hockey Federation recognising his contributions. His leadership roles in the Sports Journalists Federation of India and the Tamil Nadu Sports Journalists’ Ass