Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw pointed to four key challenges news media is facing due to the changing landscape of media and press. These are fake news, algorithmic bias, fair compensation, and artificial intelligence (AI). While speaking at an event organised by the Press Council of India in Delhi to mark National Press Day, Vaishnaw said, "Today, I would like to highlight the four great challenges which our society is facing because of the development and changes which are happening in the field of media and the press."
Fake News and Disinformation
The first challenge is the challenge of fake news and disinformation, he said, adding that the rapid spread of fake news is a big threat not only to the media because it undermines trust but also to democracy. Since the platforms do not verify what is posted there, false and misleading information can be found in abundance practically on all platforms, the Union Minister said. Even those citizens who are considered aware citizens also fall into the trap of such misinformation, he added.
'Who will take the responsibility?'
Vaishnaw also spoke on the fixing responsibility over the fake news issue. He said, "So the question that arises is, who will take responsibility for the content that is published on these platforms?"
Globally, there is debate over the relevance of a construct that is a safe harbour, he added. "This is a construct which came in the 1990s when the internet was developing. That was the time when the availability of digital mediums was limited to a select few, i.e., mostly in universities and research institutes," Vaishnaw said.
"It is well known today that many riots, including some in the developed world, many acts of terrorism, and many in the rich world, had interference in the democratic processes, including many instances in the developed world. Such instances have occurred because the platforms shied away from the responsibility for the content, he added.
"Therefore, if the circumstances are different. Shouldn’t there be different metrics for the platforms? Shouldn't there be more responsibility on the platforms? This question needs to be debated in our social context," he elaborated.
'Fair compensation by platforms'
The Union Minister called 'fair compensation' by platforms for content created by conventional media the second challenge. "As we see that the consumption of news is rapidly shifting from the conventional modes to the digital media, the traditional media is losing out financially because of this change. The investment done in creating a team of journalists, training them, having editorial processes, methods to check the veracity of the news, and taking responsibility for the content—all these investments, which are huge both in terms of time and money, are becoming irrelevant by the way these platforms are having a very unequal edge in terms of bargaining power they have vis-a-vis conventional media. This needs to be addressed," Vaishnaw explained.
The efforts made by conventional media in creating content need to be suitably compensated, he asserted. The asymmetric relationship between the content creators and the platforms is also being debated all over the world, the Union Minister said.
'Algorithmic Bias on platforms'
According to Vaishnaw, the third challenge for the news media is the 'algorithmic bias' on platforms.
"The platforms are digital mammoths which use algorithms for deciding what needs to be shown, and what has to be shown to the users. And these algorithms are designed to maximise engagement. Because the engagement defines the revenue, so maximising the revenue becomes the objective of the platform," he said.
Unfortunately, these algorithms also tend to prioritise content that incites strong reactions regardless of the factual accuracy, the Union Minister said.
Algorithmic bias can have serious social consequences: Vaishnaw
Highlighting the algorithmic bias issue, he said, "In a country as diverse as India, misinformation and such algorithmic bias can have serious social consequences, which we have seen in multiple instances. This approach, in my opinion, is irresponsible and dangerous for our society. The platforms must come out with solutions that account for the impact their systems have on our society."
'Impact of AI on intellectual property rights'
The Union Minister called the impact of AI on intellectual property rights the fourth biggest challenge for the news media.
"We are seeing that the creative world today is undergoing a serious upheaval because of AI. The content produced by creators, musicians, filmmakers, writers, and authors is all being digested by the AI models," he said.
"What happens to the IP rights of the creators? What are the consequences for those original creators? Are they being compensated for their work? Are they being acknowledged for their work? Today, the AI models are able to create music on the basis of a small note. This is because of the large amount of the music database which they have used while getting themselves trained," he expressed his concerns.
Not only an economic issue but an ethical issue as well: Vaishnaw
Pressing the need for the safeguard for the original content creators, he asked, under such changes in the technology, what is the safeguard for the original content creators. This is not just an economic issue, it is an ethical issue also, he added.
Vaishnaw calls for solutions
These four challenges which we are facing due to the changing landscape of the media and press are very important challenges, he said, adding we as a society have to address this.
"We as a country have to be sensitive to it. We as the pioneers of various technologies in different fields have to find solutions to these major problems. We need to have an open debate around this and create a consensus. We have to create more discussions around it and we need to rise above politics because these challenges are affecting the very fabric of our society. These challenges are going to be more prominent and more and more dominant in the upcoming days," he asserted.
Also read: Big tech should compensate traditional media for its content: Ashwini Vaishnaw
