In recent years, there’s been an explosion in entrepreneurial content creators and journalists who focus on covering local issues. Many of these journalists often engage in vox pop-style content, which later ends up as viral clips on YouTube Shorts or Instagram Reels. While plenty of such content may be staged or made for comedic impact, a network of grassroots reporters is extremely important to hold governments to account. These creators are also filling an important gap vacated by mainstream media outlets, that of local and rural reporting. Most major news outlets only have bureaus in big cities, with few having any resources to send journalists to cover stories from the ground. In such a situation, these creators become even more essential, as they are often the only ones able to bring important issues to light from their neighborhoods.
The Firozabad government’s decision to threaten action against YouTube journalists is censorious and built on flimsy grounds. The limit of 50,000 subscribers is entirely arbitrary, and the policy itself may even go beyond the authority of a district administration. YouTube and other social media platforms are digital intermediaries and fall under the regulatory purview of the IT Ministry or relevant state governments. District administrators need to reconsider the legal basis under which they issue such notices.
The District Information Officer (DIO) for Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, issued an order prohibiting YouTubers with a subscriber count of less than 50,000 from engaging in journalism. The order threatens such YouTube journalists with actions under provisions of the Press Act. This development was first reported by Piyush Rai on X.
Speaking to MediaNama, Firozabad DIO Narendra Mohan stated that the order was applicable not just to YouTube but also to all social media platforms. He explained that the order was not meant to target smaller YouTubers but was intended to stop the “araajakta” (lawlessness) resulting from some YouTube journalists.
He contrasted this with “genuine” journalists, who, according to him, work to spread awareness about government policies to the masses.
“This is directed towards all journalists, regardless of platform, who spread lawlessness through their work. The Press Act and Section 124A (Indian Penal Code) state that officers like me are empowered to take action against anything that goes against the country, society, or another person,” he said.
However, many commentators were extremely critical of this policy.
Journalist Shiv Kumar Mishra, who operates the YouTube channel Special Coverage News, spoke to MediaNama and pointed out that a District Information Officer may not even have the power to impose such an order.
“There cannot be a policy at the district level. Either the Ministry of Electronics or Information Technology (MeitY) from the central government or the Uttar Pradesh government will have to make a policy. How can the DIO make such a policy?” he asked.
Instead, Mishra suggested that this policy was an attempt to censure YouTubers who were critical of the government.
The Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023, replaced the colonial-era Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867, and requires the registration of all newspapers, books, and magazines published within the country. It’s not entirely clear whether this act would apply to YouTube journalists or not, as such platforms would come under the Information Technology (IT) Act. However, the Act’s definition of “publication” does include the electronic reproduction of all published content.
This is not the first time the Uttar Pradesh government has attempted to utilize social media content creators to promote their policies. Last year, the government announced a scheme to pay social media influencers to promote schemes and programs initiated by the government. The policy divided influencers on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube into four categories based on their follower count. Each category has a maximum monthly payment attached to it. Pay categories for influencers on X, Facebook, or Instagram are Rs 5 lakh, Rs 4 lakh, Rs 3 lakh, and Rs 2 lakh. Meanwhile, YouTubers had a higher pay band, ranging from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh.
The central government has also made its own attempts to court influencers through the National Creators Award, offering prizes to influencers who laud the government’s policies.
Digital content creators have been growing in prominence in India, and not always for the right reasons. Influencers like Ranveer Allahbadia and Samay Raina got into a great deal of trouble earlier this year, after Allahbadia reportedly made comments that many people found offensive. The controversy eventually led the Supreme Court to ask the government to set down rules for social media creators, with specific consequences for misconduct.
