News is Different, Treat it Differently

Context: New rules on regulating digital news portals along with social media and streaming entertainment services are flawed.

Issues with the regulation:

• Fails to distinguish between Conventional News and Digital News: put News in the same regulatory basket. This is illogical since News is completely and self-evidently different – 
  • Digital news media is now under the ambit of the Information Technology Act.
  • Grievance redressal mechanisms are similar for news portals and sites that host user-generated content.
  • Challenges press freedom: an oversight authority manned by government officials will be at the apex of the regulatory pyramid; under it will be a self-regulation body headed by a retired judge.
• Lack of consultation with the digital news media on these guidelines.

Way forward: 

• A detailed consultation with stakeholders is a must before rules are finalised on News.
• Social media should assume the same responsibilities as a publisher: because, as of now, social media gets off relatively lightly.