Will These News Content Creators Now Become Digital News Broadcasters?

Influencers who create content based on news, current affairs, and daily updates, be it audio, video, text, or images, could well be termed Digital News Broadcasters, if the second draft of the Broadcasting Services (Regulation) Bill, 2024 is enacted into law.

News creators online, even if they are not associated with any legacy media, could be brought under the ambit of this law by clubbing them within the new category called ‘digital news broadcasters’.
In the last few years, the internet has spawned a new breed of journalists – those who have made a name by posting news and views on their YouTube channels, as also those who have left the publications they worked with and have struck out on their own via social media. Both categories command immense following, and so far, have been unregulated by law.
Even as print declines and digital journalism inches into public consciousness. Moreover, there have been questions about regulating the content put out by these news influencers. The proposed additions to the new broadcast bill could now well bring your favourite news creator under the scanner and into the category of digital news broadcasters. Here’s a look at some news influencers who have hit the sweet spot in the last few years –

Faye D’souza

Faye D’souza, born and brought up in Mangalore, worked with The Times Group as executive editor of Mirror Now, till she decided to strike out on her own. The Urban Debate on Mirror Now had brought her into the limelight with the feisty journalist. Furthermore, anchoring shows on topics like corruption, communal violence and press freedom. Earlier, Faye worked as an anchor and editorial lead on Investor’s Guide for ET Now. She bagged the RedInk Award for ‘Journalist of the Year’ in 2018.
Her YouTube channel, ‘Faye D’souza’ posts fresh news content with facts, context. However, is known for her objectivity, although she gets trolled for her stance frequently. She commands an impressive 1.1 million followers on Twitter, and 1.8 million on Instagram. Furthermore, while her YouTube channel continues to grow with 326 subscribers at last count. 

Palki Sharma Upadhyay

Palki Sharma Upadhyay shot into the limelight when she quit WION after having worked with the television channel as its managing director for three years and hosting its popular show Gravitas, in September 2022. Starting with Doordarshan in 2002 as a reporter and news anchor, Palki then joined Hindustan Times and then CNN-News18. After her departure from WION, First Post picked her up as the face of its new show. Besides, Palki draws in audiences on the strength of her insightful analyses and sharp presentations.

Fans have loved her hit programs “Flashback” and “Between the Lines,” which compressed complicated topics into short and sweet snippets. She is currently one of the more popular youth icons in the world of Indian online journalism. With a strong 5.27 million following her on the First Post YouTube channel. Her loyal fans track her on Instagram as well, where she has 762k followers, and on X, where she has 704 followers.

Anubha Bhonsle

46 year old Anubha Bhonsle had put in two decades in journalism and was executive editor at CNN IBN before she decided to go the entrepreneur route and launch Newsworthy.Studio. The studio uses storytelling and strategy for impact and has powered foundations, non profits, OTTs, educational institutes and developmental organisations in India and overseas. She has made films, led teams, and covered some of the biggest stories. She is also the author of a non-fiction book, ‘Mother, Where’s My Country?’
As the CEO of Newsworthy, she believes in “news and not noise”, connecting and not conflict. She produces information-worthy content that’s ‘useful for people’s time and mental health’. Her loyal fan following stands at 62.4k followers on Instagram, 175k followers on Twitter and 6.26k subscribers on YouTube.

Kunal Purohit

For the last six years, Kunal Purohit has been an independent journalist. Moreover, reporting on issues like the rise of right-wing politics, hate crimes, gender and social justice, at the intersection of development. He has tracked India’s foreign policy, especially its relations with China as well as the EU, for a host of international publications. However, He travels extensively through India’s hinterlands, capturing stories of development. Furthermore, structural inequalities and how they affect people’s lives, and more recently. However, how religious hate is altering the country’s social fabric. He has been published in various international and national media publications. However, from Al Jazeera to South China Morning Post, Deutsche Welle to the National Geographic Traveller.
His documentary-podcasts are quite popular with his legions of fans as well.

Kunal was awarded the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Civic Journalism in 2012. However, the Statesman Award for Rural Reporting in 2014. As well as the UNFPA-Laadli Media Award for Gender Sensitive Reporting in 2014 and 2019. His follower count continues to grow, standing at 19.6k followers on Twitter and 2926 on Instagram.

Ravish Kumar

As the senior executive editor of NDTV India, Ravish Kumar was the face of the news channel from his stint there from 1994 to 2022. He hosted a number of programmes including the channel’s flagship weekday show Prime Time, Hum Log, Ravish Ki Report, and Des Ki Baat. He launched his own YouTube channel in November 2022 after quitting NDTV. And reached a milestone of 10 million subscribers on YouTube in May this year. A recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay award and the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism award. Ravish has been at the end of death threats several times for the firm stand he takes on several political. And civic issues on his channel, which has now hit 11.4 million subscribers. An impressive 3.8 million people follow him on X and another 4.5 million on his Instagram page.

Will these intrepid journalists, as many of their ilk who are making a name for themselves on social platforms. However, navigate the social media world as digital news broadcasters once the bill in enacted? Will they stay on the course of independent journalism that has endeared them to legions of their fans? Time should tell.