'Poison PR', an Investigative Collaboration Between The Wire and International Outlets Wins One World Media Award
Illustation: Pariplab Chakraborty
The Award
As part of this investigation, The Wire published the story titled 'How a US-Based PR Firm Is Profiling Activists, Scientists Opposing Pesticides and GMO', on September 24 last year. The story highlighted how the US-based v-Fluence Interactive, a reputation management firm which received funding from the United States government, was working to combat opposition to pesticides and genetically modified (GM) crops by secretly profiling critics, both across the world and in India.
The One World Media Awards, given every year across 13 categories including news, print, press freedom and refugee reporting, recognise exceptional and underreported journalism from the global south. In 2025, more than 50 judges from 20 countries chose the winners from more than 500 entries.
'Poison PR' won the 2025 Environment Reporting Award at the 37th One World Media Award ceremony on June 25. The list of media houses that collaborated on the 'Poison PR' investigation included Lighthouse Reports, The Wire, Africa Uncensored, The New Lede, The Guardian, The New Humanitarian, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Premium Times Nigeria.
The other nominees for the Environmental Reporting Award were the online text story ' Cattle Hustle ' by Mekong Eye, and a video story ' The 'black box' of the Mare Doricum ' by Epicentro.Tv.
Producer and reporter Cynthia Gichiri of Africa Uncensored who was also part of the Poison PR investigation with her video story on the profiling of African activists and scientists by the US-based reputation management firm was among the three nominated for the One World Media's 'Journalist of the Year' award.
'It is as important as ever to celebrate the journalists and filmmakers who risk so much to bring us nuanced and in-depth storytelling, especially against a backdrop of intensifying global conflict and shrinking media freedom,' One World Media director Vivienne Francis said in a press statement.
The Wire's Story
The investigation by Lighthouse Reports, in partnership with The Wire and other international news houses, uncovered that v-Fluence had created a private social network that hosted profiles of over 500 individuals globally, including prominent Indian environmentalist Vandana Shiva, ecologist Debal Deb and other individuals including scientists and academics.
Access to the network was invite-only and its members included agrochemical and biotechnology industry employees and allies from around the world, including India. This has raised concerns among some Indians profiled by v-Fluence about how their data might be used, highlighting potential risks to privacy. Scientists also told The Wire that 'critically profiling' activists and scientists is detrimental to scientific temper in a democracy like India, especially at a time when there is 'general hostility' towards civil service organisations.
Among the eight Indians who had access to the network was Raghavan Sampathkumar, the Executive Director of the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII). Sampathkumar, an agribusiness professional, has been working in the fields of GM crops, animal protein and agricultural trade while also engaging in policy advocacy and public relations outreach for agriculture enterprises. The FSII has ties to agro-industry companies and is involved in a project with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for deploying technologies to agro-ecological zones allotted for cotton production.
Another member was Anand Ranganathan, the consulting editor of the Indian right-wing magazine Swarajya. Ranganathan, who is a regular political commentator, has also worked with the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) as staff research scientist. The ICGEB partners with the Department of Biotechnology and the Department of Science and Technology, under the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, for supporting biotech research and development. However, Ranganathan told Lighthouse Reports and The Wire that this was the first he was hearing of this network and that he has never been associated with it, or the people who run the network.
He also said that he had never used the network's services, and that although he was pro-GMO, he 'wholeheartedly condemned' such malpractices or 'any unethical and malicious practices or espionage against those who are anti-GMO'.
This is the second honour for The Wire at the 2025 One World Media Awards. A five-part multimedia series, ' Breaking the Nets: An Oral History of India's Fisherwomen, ' has been awarded in the Innovative Storytelling category. It was reported by Shamsheer Yousaf, Monica Jha and Sriram Vittalamurthy.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Reddy and setting Indian motor racing on the speedway
What's the most attention-grabber way to introduce Akhilesh Reddy? Call him India's Bernie? Reddy laughs at the suggestion and says, 'yes, you can say that'. (Think circuits, lanes and pits and you'll work out which Bernie). How about his own definition of what he's been up to for the past three years – 'more of a madness' – heading into its fourth edition this week? Let's put a price on the madness – a spend of about €50-60 million (approx. ₹50-60 crore) over three years. The Indian Racing League (IRL), the world's first city-centric, gender-neutral motor-racing franchise competition is the flagship event, one of the festival's three categories of races. (HT) Questions ranging from 'what', 'whatever for' and 'why on earth' come rushing. But Hyderabad-based Reddy is linked to creating, he says, ecosystems, pathways, and with it, an awareness of Indian motorsports at a time he believes is just right for his investment in finance, energy and emotion into his thought-through madness. This weekend marked the start of the Indian Racing Festival, a season of five racing weekends, owned and promoted by Reddy's Racing Promotions Private Limited (RPPL). The Indian Racing League (IRL), the world's first city-centric, gender-neutral motor-racing franchise competition is the flagship event, one of the festival's three categories of races. The IRL has six teams, with combination of superstar/businessmen owners – the Goa Aces (John Abraham), Kolkata Royal Tigers (Sourav Ganguly), Kichas Kings Bengaluru (Bengaluru-based movie star Kichcha Sudeep), Speed Demons Delhi (Arjun Kapoor), Hyderabad Blackbirds (Telugu film star Naga Chaithanya), and the Chennai Turbo Riders who are owned by Dr. Swetha Sundeep Anand of the Accord Group of Hotels, headed by its director Ranjith Amizdhan. Each team fields four drivers, two per car, including one woman. The first three races will take place on Coimbatore's Kari Motor Speedway (Aug 15-17 and Oct 3-5) and the Madras International Circuit (Aug 22-24). The venues for the last two weeks are not yet announced but they could feature that rare sighting: an Indian street race, like the one held in Chennai in last year's IRL. Besides Indian drivers, this year's IRL features 2016 Le Mans winner Neel Jani, who test drove for Sauber F1, and GP2 winner John Lancaster. The women drivers include Alexandra Herve, who finished third in the 2023 Formula Renault Cup championship, Laura Campos Torras, a product of the Ferrari Driver Academy. Reddy says, 'Motor racing is gender neutral and I wanted to push boundaries, putting men and women in the same category, and have them compete on the same platform. I want Indian girls to get into motor sport and want to participate.' As a teenager, Reddy, 39, had to be a part of the sport, 'but it was really unreachable… We didn't have opportunities, nothing was available, nobody had really pushed towards the sport.' He says Kari was the only proper race track then with at the most three-four karting tracks in the country. The IRL was devised to create an extra layer of public knowledge and familiarise people with the sport. Running alongside IRL is the pathway that Reddy believes will crystallise as the decade rolls over. RPPL has the FIA licence via the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) to run Formula 3 and Formula 4 in India. These are the first steps aspiring drivers must aim for after karting to make careers in international single-seaters. In 2023, as part of the Festival, RPPL held India's first F4 races alongside IRL. The Formula LGB Series (F4) of the JK Tyres National Racing Championship – an entry-level single racing platform – is also part of it. F3 will come into the programme only after FIA releases its latest Generation-2 F3 car. Reddy obtained licences for these two categories because, 'after karting, we don't have a ladder for our youngsters to get into motor sport…' Before 2023, Indian drivers needed to travel to Europe or the Middle East to race, spending between 150,000-180,000 Euros ( ₹1.5-1.8 crore) a seat. The Indian F4 seat costs only ₹50-70 lakh, he says. Reddy believes his timing to dive into creating motor racing opportunities in India is right as 'there are 3-4 karting tracks in every city'– three in Chennai, five-six in Hyderabad and 3-4 in Bangalore. The younger generation is also drawn to motor sport first lured by F1. By the time they enter working/earning adulthood, Reddy believes he will be at the stage 'where the whole league would be established'. More race weekends, 'year-round championships with 12 weekends, pre-monsoon and post monsoon.' He anticipates that IRL Season Four could come close to marking the turnaround. 'When I got into this, I had made up my mind that this league will take at least five-six years to stabilise – in its running costs.' He hopes the league becomes 'self-sustainable probably by next summer, next year'. His dream is 'by 2033 or 2034, we see at least one kid who has driven in RPPL… at least one female Indian driver in Formula 2 grid by 2032 or 2023.' And the Indian Bernie (Ecclestone) parallel? Many may dispute but Reddy is the man on the start-finish line owning and flagging off the races.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Agatha Christie's Baghdad home almost in ruins: Here's the SHOCKING story behind it
Credit: X/Old Iraqi Pictures For some readers, it isn't always about the book, it is also so much about the author. Many readers, in a bid to connect with their favorite writer, start doing intensive research on that person. ...The research often goes so on point that there's no chance of making any mistake: be it where that writer stays, to how they may have written the pieces, every detail brings some weird joy of discovering the unknown facts of a known person. Literary village 'Beit Melek Ali'-a name that may bring a broader smile to some readers. On the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad's Karadat Maryam district stands a fading piece of literary history-a villa once graced by the 'Queen of Crime' herself, Agatha Christie. Today, that riverside retreat is a collapsed shadow of its former elegance, its walls weakened, its charm buried under years of neglect. But is it just an old building falling apart? Sitting at any corner of the globe, be a reader or a non-reader, when a report by a Turkish-based international broadcaster projected the current condition of Christie's house,it broke many is proof of how global literary heritage is fighting to survive. Today, this riverside retreat is barely standing. Its faded cream walls,loosely hanging wooden shutters, swaying with the desert wind as if asking for help. The tiled floors that might have felt the brush of Christie's designed skirts are now coated in dust and silence. Credit:X/nermeen al mufti The house where 'Mystery-dishes' were prepared: Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie first set foot in Baghdad in 1928, shortly after the difficult end of her first marriage. Leaving behind the familiar landscapes she chose to embrace the timeless charm of Mesopotamia. Traveling alone by train on the famed Orient Express, she arrived in Iraq where she met Max Mallowan, whom she would later marry. In the 1930s and '40s, Baghdad was a thriving hub of culture and history, this villa was Christie's own couple frequently returned to Baghdad between archaeological expeditions, eventually settling at Beit Melek Ali, a villa said to have once been owned by King Ali, the brother of King Faisal I. The two shared a life of excavation and exploration, moving between dig sites and the calm embrace of this riverside home. For any Christie-fan , this frame must be very easy to picture: Tigris at dusk, lantern light pooling on a wooden desk, and Christie bent over her notebooks, crafting tales like Murder in Mesopotamia,They Came to Baghdad and many more. A slow death by neglect Today, the villa tells a very different story. Left untended for decades, it's dangerously close to collapse. Broken windows, peeling paint now speak of abandonment. It's not just about a house falling apart rather it reflects a much deeper issue-the widespread neglect of cultural and literary heritage. Like many historical treasures in the country, this villa is also on the line of getting its 'Denger' sign board soon . Another testimony of how time is merciless to places without protectors. This is not just a neglected building-it is a neglected memory. Iraq, a country rich with layered history, continues to lose its cultural landmarks to war, urban expansion, and simple indifference. Christie's villa is just the tip of the iceberg, a tragic reminder that heritage can vanish without a whisper. Credit:X/nermeen al mufti Why is there no sign of improvement According to reports published by multiple Pan-Arab news organizations, Iyad Kazem, the Director General of the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, told local media that Agatha Christie's house in Baghdad is registered as a heritage property but remains under private ownership. "According to Law number 55 of 2002, public funds cannot be allocated to restore private properties unless legally acquired," Kazem further stated that the government has repeatedly tried to acquire the house from its present owner, Humam al-Qaraghouli, but he has declined to sell. "He prefers to undertake the restoration personally, working alongside international organizations," Kazem mentioned. On the other hand, the owner also revealed that he has communicated with the British Embassy in Baghdad regarding the restoration, but no tangible progress has been made so far. Christie's love for the land and its history: Many may think Christie's engagement with archaeology was limited to having a husband from this field , but in reality it derived from a place of personal love and interest that later on made her actively participate in exploration at major sites such as Ur, Nimrud, Nineveh, Tell Arpachiyah, and Chagar Bazar. Her continued love for The city of Baghdad didn't stay locked in her diaries, rather they blended into her fiction flawlessly ,featured in her of the classic examples being: Murder on the Orient Express ,at the time, a train from Baghdad could take people to Turkey and Europe. Murder in Mesopotamia , another piece of writing inspired by her visits to archaeological digs and her close observations of life in excavation camps, stands as one of her most iconic works, a murder mystery set against the backdrop of an Iraqi dig site. Likewise, They Came to Baghdad captured the intrigue, chaos, and charm of the city itself, blending Christie's signature suspense with vivid descriptions of the bustling streets, the distant hum of bazaars, and the layered tension of post-war politics. This house is more than a mere structure standing next to the banks of the Tigris, it's a doorway to an era when literature and archaeology weaved together and created wonders. Imagine the potential it holds-not as a ruin but as a restored cultural jewel serving the purpose of literary tourism, education experiences, and cultural dialogue. The address of one of the Best selling fiction authors of all time deserves more than what it's witnessing at present. Credit:X/nermeen al mufti
Mint
7 hours ago
- Mint
Feeling terribly bored? Your brain might be thanking you
Remember the days of calling out, 'Ma, I'm bored"? That simple universal refrain now almost seems alien and challenges the current 'hustle culture' riddled with constant notifications, places to go to and to-do lists. Yet, for a growing chorus of voices — from therapists to educators, musicians, and artists — boredom is an unlikely gateway to emotional clarity, creativity, and deeper well-being. For Bengaluru-based artist and general physician Dr Bhoomika Ananth, boredom at 2 am resulted in a spur-of-the-moment Instagram story which in turn led to one of her most iconic works. 'After a day spent sleeping, I was wide awake in the middle of the night and decided to recreate Van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' in the city. I posted a story requesting people to join me – there was no venue, no plan — just an idea born out of boredom," recollects the founder of Creatibeeti, an artist collective specialising in mural art. What she expected to be a quiet, quirky idea shared with a handful of friends quickly snowballed. Interest poured in, messages began stacking up, and before she knew it, dozens of art-lovers had committed to join. On the D-day, they gathered at the iconic Airlines Hotel, brushes and paints in hand. Over plates of crisp masala dosas and steaming cups of filter coffee, the group of 40 transformed a 35-foot-wide wall in five-and-a-half hours, reimagining the masterpiece in bold, vibrant strokes! THE SPACE TO THINK 'In today's hyper-stimulated world, with constant notifications and the pressure to always be 'active', we often view idleness or boredom as unproductive," says Deepti Chandy, therapist and COO at Anna Chandy & Associates. 'But in reality, boredom offers us an invaluable opportunity: the space to slow down and reconnect with ourselves. When we allow ourselves to be bored, to sit without an agenda, we create the mental room necessary for emotional clarity and creative thinking." Research too supports this. A study cited by the Academy of Management, USA, found that people given a boring, repetitive task — like sorting beans by colour — later came up with more and better creative ideas than those who skipped the monotony. More recently, the UK-based scientific journal Nature reported that brief periods of low-stimulation or 'mental idleness" can help improve problem-solving and foster cognitive flexibility. Deepti expresses that our most powerful insights often emerge during moments of pause — 'like on a quiet holiday or in between tasks." Even children benefit when not constantly entertained, she says, because they're more likely to invent games and think in new ways. 'The same holds true for adults too," she adds. BOREDOM IN CURRICULUM Education spaces are also embracing this idea. At Openhouse, a learning centre co-founded by Yashovardhan Poddar, boredom is woven into the curriculum. 'Boredom isn't emptiness, it's a blank canvas. When children are given time to 'just be', their imagination and inner voice come alive," he says. These findings echo what Poddar sees in his classrooms — that unstructured time, far from being wasted, actually boosts cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and independent thinking. 'At Openhouse, boredom is embraced, not eliminated, through thoughtfully curated open-ended activities, quiet corners, and time for free play," Poddar explains. These calm moments let children guide their own learning, explore emotions, and build resilience. 'Instead of being void, boredom becomes a doorway to creativity, clarity and well-being." TUNING INTO TEDIUM For Mumbai-based musician and storyteller Raman Iyer, boredom is rare in today's hyper-connected reality. 'With our phones being an extension of our limbs, the art of deriving wisdom from boredom seems to be losing its essence! With AirPods on, we always have something to consume while completely cutting ourselves off!" He defines boredom as 'a sudden, unexpected availability of time" — often arriving after frustration when plans are cancelled, meetings rescheduled, or a phone signal drops. 'I feel boredom in today's times is the only window to listen to our own selves," he says. THE PRACTICE OF STILLNESS So, what are the signs that one needs to calm down and not be immersed in back-to-back tasks? Chandy lists them out: feeling constantly on edge, the need for continuous stimulation, emotional exhaustion, burnout, chronic irritability, or the sense of always being in a state of flux. 'These are indicators that your nervous system is overstretched and that you're operating outside your window of tolerance," observes Chandy. Instead of waiting for burnout, she recommends making boredom a regular practice — 'Stillness isn't a void; it's a powerful space of possibility." Iyer believes that boredom doesn't come easily to the privileged! 'So, take up a long-distance train journey, trek or hike to a network-free place, or seriously commit to 'Screen-free Sundays' to actually know what it means to get bored. And don't forget to keep a notebook handy to jot down the thoughts and ideas that dance freely in the stage of boredom," he wraps up. Deepa Natarajan Lobo is an independent journalist based in Bengaluru.
