February 27, 2025: In a significant push for media sustainability, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring fair compensation for traditional media houses by digital platforms. Speaking at the Storyboard18 DNPA Conclave, he emphasized the need for online platforms to adequately remunerate media organizations for the content they utilize.

Vaishnaw highlighted the evolving media landscape, where the rapid shift to digital consumption—especially among younger generations—has financially impacted traditional media, including newspapers and broadcast networks. He pointed out that generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools pose additional challenges to media sustainability by repurposing journalistic content without fair returns to its creators.

"It is important to examine the role of traditional media and how it can adapt to these transformations. The government is fully prepared to provide necessary support during this transition," Vaishnaw stated, adding that discussions at the conclave would help shape future policies to address these concerns.

Echoing his sentiments, Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Sanjay Jaju stressed that several countries have already enacted laws requiring digital platforms to share their revenues with news publishers. He acknowledged that Indian media houses generate substantial content driving online engagement, yet they receive minimal returns.

Jaju also flagged concerns over AI’s impact on journalism, stating that news content is now being used to train AI models without compensating original creators. This, he warned, raises ethical and copyright issues while allowing corporate entities to profit from journalistic efforts.

The Indian government is actively monitoring these developments and is expected to introduce policy measures to safeguard the interests of media houses and content creators in the digital age.