The J&K Government's proposed "Draft New Media Policy-2026" aims to tighten control over digital and social media platforms. As traditional print media faces severe censorship, digital spaces have become the final refuge for independent Kashmiri reporters. However, this new policy introduces specialized "Fake News" Nodal Officers to track and flag online content in real-time.
Media...
Freelance investigative journalist Mukesh Chandrakar, known for fearless reporting on local corruption via his digital platform Bastar Junction, was brutally murdered in Chhattisgarh. On January 3, 2026, authorities discovered his body concealed in a septic tank owned by a local contractor whom Chandrakar had recently exposed in an investigation. This horrific assassination...
Independent Tamil journalist and YouTuber Mukhtar Ahmed was arrested by the Chennai Cyber Crime Cell in June 2026 over an interview he conducted with a political functionary. Rather than pursuing standard civil defamation, state authorities utilized criminal cyber laws to detain him.
This is a growing tactic used to bypass civil courts and immediately imprison digital...
In a shocking incident in Uttar Pradesh, Meerut Police manhandled and brutally assaulted a Republic TV reporter and camera operator on live television in January 2026. The press team was actively covering the mysterious death of a Dalit woman when officers physically attacked them.
This on-camera assault is widely viewed as a desperate, brazen attempt to delete crucial evidence and shield...
Highlighting the extreme vulnerability of regional reporters, 50-year-old journalist Khem Bhandari was presented before a district court just yesterday to execute a prison sentence for a cross-border defamation case. This arrest exposes a chilling reality for independent media workers: the aggressive pursuit of jail time for defamation—rather than standard financial...
Camera operators and photojournalists face unique, high-stakes dangers compared to print reporters. Because their job requires them to be at the center of the action, holding a large camera instantly turns them into visible targets for hostile mobs, political workers, or aggressive police forces. To protect their footage and survive, video journalists must rapidly assess crowd sentiments and...
In March 2025, digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumdar of The CrossCurrent was arrested by Guwahati police. He was summoned and detained immediately after questioning bank officials about alleged financial irregularities at a state-run cooperative bank.
Authorities filed two cases against him, including accusations of unlawful entry and making offensive remarks,...
Investigative journalist Shashikant Warishe was deliberately run over and killed in a motorcycle crash in Maharashtra. The fatal attack was orchestrated by a local land dealer in direct retaliation for Warishe's relentless reporting on illegal land grabs in the region.
His murder remains a grim reminder of the fatal risks rural and regional reporters face when confronting powerful local...
Press freedom in West Bengal continues to face severe threats from political violence. Journalists Soma Maity and Ranjit Mahato were viciously attacked by a mob within minutes of arriving to cover local protests.
Reporters on the ground face immense physical risks, including being restrained, having their hair pulled, and suffering equipment damage from agitated crowds, severely...
In a cross-border crackdown in late 2025, Rajasthan Police detained the editor-in-chief and managing editor of the Bhopal-based news portal The Sootr. They were picked up over allegations of publishing "fake and defamatory" investigative reports concerning a Deputy Chief Minister and allegedly demanding extortion money to remove the articles.
The journalists were held for questioning...
