By Preethi Nallu
I was thrilled to be in Bangalore with our newsroom partners from across India to support The Media Rumble — South Asia’s largest and most influential media forum. Led by two of India’s leading public interest media, @TheNewsMinute and @newslaundry, the event brought together journalists, technologists, policymakers, filmmakers, and media innovators to explore the future of news, storytelling, and sustainability across the region.
Surrounded by our newsroom partners and peers from India and beyond, we reflected on the challenges and opportunities facing journalism today, while convening local communities of audiences.
Media Rumble was also the perfect setting to launch Report for South Asia, our first concerted chapter that supports journalists, innovators and revenue specialists at key public interest media in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. We are forming the first ever pan-South Asian journalism network, to create deeper cross-border collaborations, while connecting editors, and impact and revenue specialists across small and large media.
Our team at Report for the World is helping build robust national and regional media infrastructures through key areas of support – professional development, editorial collaborations, cross-sector networks and media innovation. Our ultimate goal is to build a self-sustaining media ecosystem in South Asia, and all of our key regions of operation!
The Media Rumble: A Forum for the Future of News
Since its founding in 2017, The Media Rumble (TMR) has grown into South Asia’s leading media ideas festival — a space where journalists and technologists meet to debate how we make, fund, and consume news in a rapidly changing world.
Created by Newslaundry and The News Minute, and produced by Teamwork Arts, the forum centers around three key pillars: media, technology, and business. Each year, it convenes journalists, policymakers, academics, and innovators to dissect the forces shaping the media ecosystem — from press freedom and misinformation to AI, representation, and newsroom sustainability.
What makes TMR unique is its mix of critique and collaboration. Conversations are candid, often but always forward-looking — reflecting a collective belief that the media industry must evolve to remain relevant, inclusive, and independent.
The 2025 edition offered deep dives into some of the most pressing issues for newsrooms today. Sessions explored:
Press Freedom and Democracy – how independent media can counter rising disinformation and polarization.
AI and Ethics in Journalism – the double-edged role of automation and algorithms in storytelling and trust.
Representation and Diversity – the urgent need to make newsrooms more inclusive and reflective of the societies they cover.
The Future of Media Sustainability – new business models for independent media, including reader support and philanthropic partnerships.
Climate and Investigative Reporting – amplifying critical, underreported stories that transcend national borders.
Each conversation reaffirmed a shared truth: journalism’s future depends on collaboration — between reporters and readers, technology and ethics, the local and the global.
Beyond the panels and programming, what makes The Media Rumble truly special is its spirit of openness. It’s a rare space where editors debate policymakers, young reporters challenge veterans, and media founders share honest lessons about failure and experimentation.
Since 2017, it’s become a crucible for ideas — connecting investigative journalists with technologists, activists with funders, and storytellers with audiences. Participants often describe it as “a mirror for the media” — one that reflects both its flaws and its potential.
For us, it was also a reminder of the global nature of our mission. The challenges facing journalism in South Asia — from economic pressure to online harassment — mirror those faced by our colleagues around the world. The Media Rumble underscored why we must keep building networks of solidarity, support, and innovation.
As the 2025 edition came to a close, one thing was clear: The Media Rumble isn’t just a conference — it’s a movement to rethink how we tell stories and sustain truth in a noisy world. It celebrates diversity, creativity, and the power of partnerships to drive change.
We were left inspired by the energy in the room — by the journalists pushing boundaries, by the technologists asking tough questions, and by the storytellers proving that integrity still matters.
We are proud to have supported The Media Rumble, attended by many of our newsroom partners across India. It was the perfect occasion and a vivid reminder that the future of journalism is collaborative, courageous, and deeply connected.