Journalists across Telangana staged statewide protests under the banner of the Telangana Union of Working Journalists (TUWJ) against the government's newly issued GO Ms. No. 252 on media accreditation rules.

The order, approved on December 23, replaces 2016 guidelines and introduces separate "accreditation cards" for field reporters and limited "media cards" for desk journalists (e.g., sub-editors), denying the latter full benefits like access privileges while restricting them to welfare schemes only. It also reduces overall accreditation quotas, raises freelance eligibility from 10 to 15 years, and caps digital media cards at 10 statewide.

Scribes demanded immediate withdrawal or amendment of the GO, calling it discriminatory, an attack on press freedom, and a betrayal of journalists who supported the Telangana movement. Under the slogan "One Journalist, One Card," they marched and besieged all 33 district collectorates to submit petitions.

In Hyderabad, police briefly detained around 50 scribes, including TUWJ leaders like General Secretary Askani Maruthi Sagar, after denying entry to the collector's office. TUWJ President Allam Narayana condemned the arrests as undemocratic.

Opposition leaders, including BRS leaders like Harish Rao and KTR, criticized the Congress government for suppressing journalists' rights. The protests highlighted unity among field and desk journalists against perceived division.