UP Deputy CM Brajesh Pathak headlines s4m's Media Sanwadh 2026

Samachar4Media, the Hindi publication of the exchange4media Group, hosted the fourth edition of Media Sanwadh and the Samachar4Media Journalism (Patrakarita)  40 Under 40 Awards on July 28, 2026, at the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi. Presented by DS Group and built around the theme ‘Media: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,’  this year’s edition was the biggest yet: a full day of high-voltage panels, fireside conversations and one-on-one addresses that drew editors, anchors and digital-first journalists from over 30 leading newsrooms, before culminating in an evening awards gala honouring the year's cohort of outstanding Hindi journalists under the age of 40.

From newsroom veterans to the country’s most-watched digital voices, the conclave assembled an unusually deep bench of influential journalists who chaired the awards jury, making Media Sanwadh 2026 one of the most closely watched gatherings on the Hindi media calendar this year.

AI, TRUST AND THE NEWSROOM OF TOMORROW

The day's marquee conversation, a packed panel on ‘AI-era Newsrooms: Speed, Trust and the Future of Journalism,’ set the tone for a conclave that treated technology not as a threat but as an unfinished argument. Moderated by Pankaj Sharma, Editor of Samachar4Media, the discussion brought together Anuj Khare (Group Editor, IDPL/Zee Digital), Jaya Kaushik (Founder, Jaya Kaushik Reports; former NDTV anchor) and Swadesh Kumar (Delhi Head, Dainik Jagran).

The consensus that emerged was as candid as it was constructive: AI has undeniably changed the way newsrooms work, compressing the time it takes to source, verify and file, and even reshaping how rundowns are algorithmically decoded. But speakers were equally direct that speed has come at a cost: credibility is being tested in ways it never was before, making rigorous fact-checking and cross-verification non-negotiable in an AI-assisted newsroom. The panel was emphatic that artificial intelligence cannot substitute for ground-zero reporting or editorial perspective; AI can surface what is trending, but it is the journalist, and in print the editor, who still decides what matters and what tone a story deserves. The strongest theme of the day was a call for well-researched, ground-zero exclusives that give Indian journalism its distinct, irreplaceable edge, alongside a recognition that human editorial judgement remains the single most important safeguard in an AI-powered newsroom.

Dr. Anurag Batra, Chairman and Editor-in-chief of Exchange4media Group said, “Journalism in this country is going through one of its most demanding phases, yet journalists continue to show up, verify, question and report with the same integrity that has always defined this profession. The incredible journalists we honoured this year are a reflection of that larger truth: that behind every credible story is a journalist doing extraordinary work, often without recognition. At Samachar4Media, we believe that work deserves to be celebrated, not just once a year, but every single day.”

Conversations across the day also turned to the industry's next audience. Speakers pushed back on the instinct to write off Gen Z as disengaged, arguing instead that understanding how this generation consumes news, including the rise of Instagram Reels as a legitimate news medium, is now core to editorial strategy. As one recurring observation put it: if television and newspapers fail to deliver real news, audiences will simply find it on a platform that does. The day's discussions repeatedly circled back to a single provocation for the room: as content creation and journalism increasingly blur into one another, credibility, not virality, must remain the industry's dividing line.

Beyond the AI panel, the conclave's agenda read like a who's-who of Hindi and English news leadership. Insightful fireside chat, alongside a panel on ‘Astrology in the Digital Age’ moderated by Anurag Muskan. The day also featured individual addresses from senior voices including Sumit Awasthi, Shamsher Singh, Jagdish Sharma, Vinod Agnihotri, Nitin Shrivastav, Padma Shri Alok Mehta, Rahul Sinha, Deepak Chaurasia, Manoj Manu, Prof. (Dr.) Vartika Nanda, Rohit Vishwakarma and Supriya Prasad, among others, while the floor itself drew journalists and editors from Republic Bharat, NDTV, Zee News, AajTak, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, ETV Bharat, Jagran New Media, Lallantop, The Quint and ITV Network, turning Media Sanwadh into less a conference and more a working session for the industry to think out loud about its own future. 

FORTY JOURNALISTS, ONE UNMISTAKABLE MESSAGE

The day closed on its most anticipated note: the unveiling of the fourth edition of the Samachar4Media Journalism 40 Under 40 list at a gala awards ceremony. Chaired by Shashi Shekhar, Editor-in-Chief of Hindustan, the jury honoured journalists under the age of 40 from print, television and digital media for work that has shaped the national conversation, recognising not just reach, but the ground-zero rigour and editorial courage that the day's panels had spent hours arguing journalism cannot afford to lose.

The awards were conferred in the presence of Chief Guest Shri Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, underscoring the weight this platform now carries at the intersection of media and public life. The evening also featured addresses by Dr. Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, exchange4media Group, who delivered the inaugural address and the vote of thanks. 

The following journalists were felicitated at the awards ceremony, recognised for their reportage, leadership and impact across print, television and digital media:

Samachar4Media is the Hindi-language news and media-industry platform of the exchange4media Group, India's leading media, marketing and advertising business intelligence company. the most read portal on news and views on media. published in hindi.Through its flagship properties such as Media Sanwadh and the Journalism 40 Under 40 awards, Samachar4Media has, over four consecutive editions, built one of the industry's most credible platforms for recognising excellence in Hindi journalism and convening its most influential voices.