NEW DELHI, Feb 27: The government is ready to help the media industry adapt to rapid changes as it passes through a phase of transition from traditional to digital media, Union Information and Broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Thursday.
In a video message to the Storyboard18-DNPA Conclave, Vaishnaw flagged issues such as copyright and fair compensation to traditional media houses for use of their content by digital platforms.
Vaishnaw stressed on the importance of examining the role of traditional media and how it could adapt to new-age transformation.
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“The younger generation has shifted completely from traditional media to digital media,” he said.
The minister said the transitionary phase also brought challenges related to employment, creativity, copyright issues, and ensuring fair compensation for content creators, producers and other stakeholders in the media industry.
“As the government, we are fully prepared to provide any necessary support required during this transition,” Vaishnaw said.
He also expressed hope that the conclave would deliberate on how this transition could be carried out smoothly and without disruption.
Union Information and Broadcasting secretary Sanjay Jaju flagged concerns about the unchecked spread of misinformation and clickbait journalism that, he said, undermined democratic values.
“At the same time, safe harbour provisions of the IT Act are designed to protect digital intermediaries. But at times, they have also been becoming an excuse for evading responsibility,” Jaju said.
“The global discourse around safe harbour protections also signals the need for platforms to proactively curb misinformation, rather than reacting after harm is done,” he said.
Jaju said Indian media houses produced content that drove engagement. Yet there was a feeling that they received very little in return.
“News articles and reports produced by all of you are now being used to train AI models, which then prioritise certain narratives without compensating the original creators. This has ramifications and has issues on ethical concerns. At the same time, it also has issues of repurposing journalistic content for corporate profit,” he said.
Jaju said the government was closely monitoring global regulatory developments and there were many countries that had implemented laws requiring digital platforms to share revenues with news publishers.
“At the same time, there is also a need for a transparent revenue-sharing mechanism to ensure that our journalism remains financially sustainable,” he added.
The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) represents 20 media outlets from both print and electronic media across India. (PTI)
