The arrival of new gaming journalists Rio Robayo and Matt Murphy at Qualbert.com with the aim to have “a closer look” at the Australian game development scene is the right move, believes founder and Editor-In-Chief Dr Ben Schuster.  Qualbert began as a Facebook page before becoming a fully fledged site in 2020. Schuster says it has snowballed since then. Qualbert is the name of Schuster’s online identity. The publication focuses on the Australian games industry with a close eye on indie games via its news, features, interviews and reviews.  Schuster told Influencing, “We want to spread the message of many Australian indie games to a broader audience, particularly games that might not be as widely known. “We also want to highlight many games that fly under the radar and maybe deserve attention. So we’ll look at doing more interviews, reviews, insight articles into the local game development, and getting involved in as many local events as possible.” Robayo and Mu

In an era where every influencer with a ring light calls themselves a journalist, Jarshad NK still believes in the fundamentals—storytelling, substance, and covering news that matters. With over two decades in journalism, he’s held the line in some of India’s most prestigious newsrooms—Reuters, The Hindu Business Line, Economic Times, Forbes—and taught an entire generation of cub reporters as Dean at ACJ. Today, he leads the editorial charge as editor-in-chief of YourStory Media, one of India’s foremost voices in startup journalism. And yet, Jarshad isn’t clinging to the past. He’s dissecting the future—to get a pie of the AI and tech action. Mentorship, Machines & the Messy Middle “I joined journalism at a time when mistakes weren’t instantly amplified,” Jarshad says, reflecting on a career that predates X (formerly Twitter) outrage cycles. “Back then, your editor had time for a conversation. Today, most young journalists are thrown into a 24/7 digit

Prasar Bharati has extended the deadline to apply for the 87th e-auction of vacant MPEG-2 slots on the DD Free Dish platform.   The slots, valid from May 28, 2025, to March 31, 2026, will be auctioned online on May 19, 2025. Broadcasters can apply until 3:00 p.m. on May 15, 2025. The auction will be held in six rounds, each with different reserve prices and eligibility:  Round 1 (Rs 13.75 crore): open to all buckets (A+, A, B, C, D, R)​ Round 2 (Rs 10.96 crore): buckets A, B, C, D, R (excludes A+)​ Round 3 (Rs 9.32 crore): buckets B, C, D​ Round 4 (Rs 6.83 crore): buckets C, D, R​ Round 5 (Rs 5.94 crore): buckets D, R​ Round 6 (Rs 2.53 crore): only bucket R​ All other terms from the April 29, 2025, notification remain unchanged.

Integral Ad Science (IAS) has teamed up with Nextdoor to enhance ad safety and suitability on the platform. IAS will power Nextdoor’s first-party brand safety tool, offering AI-driven, pre-bid optimisation to ensure ads appear in brand-safe environments.   This partnership gives advertisers more control, transparency, and protection across Nextdoor’s Newsfeed, reaching one-third of U.S. households.  “At Nextdoor, trust and community go hand in hand, so when it comes to advertising, this isn’t optional, it’s essential,” said Michael Kiernan, Chief Revenue Officer at Nextdoor. “Partnering with Integral Ad Science brings a new layer of trusted, third-party transparency to our platform, giving advertisers the confidence to show up in the right place, at the right time, in front of the right neighbors.”  Full integration of IAS’s Total Media Quality for Nextdoor, including viewability and traffic measurement, is expected in H2 2025. 

In a landmark address on Buddha Purnima, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a transformative shift in India's counter-terrorism strategy. He declared that Operation Sindoor marks a "new normal," a decisive doctrine aimed at dismantling terror networks and their state sponsors.  Hot off the Press According to Times of India's Akhilesh Kumar Singh, The Hindu's Nistula Hebbar, Hindustan Times' Dhrubo Jyoti and Indian Express' Shubhajit Roy, Modi emphasised in a televised speech that India would no longer tolerate nuclear blackmail or distinguish between terrorists and the governments that harbour them. He stated unequivocally that any future dialogue with Pakistan would be confined to discussions on terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). "Trade and terror talks can't go together, blood and water can't flow together," he reportedly said. The Prime Minister lauded the Indian Armed Forces for their precision strikes, which targeted terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and P

Burson has been appointed agency of record for Ahmedabad’s campaign to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, representing the Gujarat Sports Infrastructure Development Company Limited. The agency will lead brand development, competitive positioning, and media relations. “With Burson as our communications partner, we are excited to pursue our vision of bringing the Games to Amdavad,” a government official said. Dolly Tayal, MD, Burson Genesis, stated, “We’re honoured to support GSID and will use our expertise to build strong support for India’s Olympic dream.”

The Science Journalists Association of Australia has today announced its 2025 funding grants program for members, offering five grants worth a total of $8,000.  SJAA members can apply for the following grants: One student and early-career journalism grant for journalists with up to four years’ experience One independent reporting grant  One grant to support travel for a reporting project  One grant for professional development opportunities Additionally, the SJAA may award an additional $2,000 grant for an exemplary application, or use the additional funds to bolster a winning applicant’s proposal. SJAA president Jackson Ryan told Influencing: "Opening up the grants program is my second favourite day of the year at the SJAA. Since launching four years ago, we've delivered $23,000 in grant funding, supported by our Champions of Science Journalism at STEM Matters, ANU, and Swinburne.  “This year, we've been able to offer more grants with our own cash than ever bef