Several journalist bodies, including the Press Council of India, Editors Guild of India and Delhi Union of Journalists, have demanded a “serious investigation” into the shocking murder of Bastar-based independent journalist Mukesh Chandrakar.

On January 5, 2025, the Government of India introduced the Draft Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, aimed at safeguarding citizens’ personal data and empowering them in the digital economy.

In our LEAD, a 70kg IED blast in Bastar claims nine lives, marking one of the deadliest Maoist attacks in recent times. Our SPOTLIGHT today shines on Justin Trudeau’s resignation, ending a divisive tenure amid plummeting approval. In the day's BIZARRE NEWS section, we cover UP village plunging into darkness after transformer gets stolen. In ENTERTAINMENT, Pushpa 2 smashes records but trails Dangal globally and today's top TECH NEWS is Dell’s AI-driven Pro Max laptops debuts at CES 2025. In SPORTS, we highlight ICC’s two-tier Test system ignites cricketing debates.

Adelaide Crows legend and former captain Rory Sloane is set to bring his on-field expertise to Nine's AFL commentary team for the 2025 season, according to Mediaweek.

In our LEAD story, read all about our analysis of the the dual health crisis India suffers from as H5N1 avian flu kills wildlife and the HMPV scare. For SPOTLIGHT, we bring you AAP-BJP clash over Delhi's development schemes ahead of Delhi assembly polls. In our TECH NEWS of the day, Microsoft plans to invest $80 billion for AI during 2025. India losing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 is our SPORTS UPDATE of the day.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) received an allocation of Rs 4342.55 crore in the Union Budget 2024-25, significantly lower than its proposed expenditure of Rs 5017.64 crore.

Iran’s unexpected bid to aid Nimisha Priya, an Indian nurse on Yemen’s death row, blends geopolitics with "humanitarian" optics, raising eyebrows as Houthis continue to target Indian ships in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, Indian cricket buzzes with Rohit Sharma’s rumoured absence in the final Border-Gavaskar Test, with Bumrah poised for captaincy—a dynamic shift under Gambhir’s watchful eye.

Viacom18 Media has become a direct subsidiary of Reliance Industries.

India's education system faces a ticking crisis as school infrastructure remains shockingly inadequate, with many lacking ramps for differently-abled kids, gender-specific toilets, or even electricity—a glaring oversight decades after independence. Additionally, Jamal Ayub and Meenakshi Sharma of the Times of India report a bittersweet milestone as Bhopal ships 350 metric tons of toxic waste, four decades after the gas tragedy—a delayed step toward healing a city haunted by its toxic legacy.

From enhancing creativity to revolutionising productivity, AI tools are now indispensable for journalists and the year 2024 marks a milestone in the mainstream adoption of AI tools.

As Delhi gears up for assembly polls, Arvind Kejriwal ups the ante, promising Rs 18,000 monthly doles for pujaris and granthis if AAP clinches a third term. The battle for votes just got a lavish twist. ISRO’s PSLV-C60 launch of SPADEx satellites rockets India into the elite league of space docking pioneers. The mission, with Ananth Technologies’ expertise, propels Indian space tech to stellar heights.

The Jeju Air crash in South Korea, killing 179, exposes aviation's Achilles' heel: bird strikes. Despite tech leaps, the Boeing 737-800 was undone by a wing hit, raising sharp questions about preventable failures in air travel safety. Our spotlight today is on Telangana Police’s Garuda Squad—trained eagles intercepting rogue drones with precision. This feathered force is redefining aerial security, proving that in a tech-driven world, nature still has some tricks up its wings.

YouTube is taking steps to crack down on misleading titles and thumbnails in India to enhance user experience.

Influencing India’s year-end curation brings you the stories that shaped 2024—where print, digital, and marcomm met resilience, innovation, and bold moves. Here’s to celebrating the pulse of the media industry.

Influencing India’s year-end curation brings you the stories that shaped 2024—where print, digital, and marcomm met resilience, innovation, and bold moves. Here’s to celebrating the pulse of the media industry.