'Credibility & responsibility of traditional media transcends time'

To talk about the future of news and media in the country, Kartikeya Sharma, MP, Rajya Sabha & Founder iTV Network, spoke at e4m NewsNext Summit 2023 on the importance of hyperlocal news, data and authenticity when it comes to successful media houses of the future.

The consumption of news and content with the availability of data has changed remarkably, he said. “Today, content creators sitting in their offices, or even from their homes, are making rapid strides in media and are the biggest challengers to mainstream media today. It is important to get one thing right, that is what our consumers want. We need to understand the changing consumers of news and also whether he or she wants a variety of content. They want authentic content, and content which is reliable. In the era of social media, broadcast, print and digital media retain far more significance, since the viewer still wants authentic news, which is based on facts, and we need to present them with their facts as our viewers are evolved enough and can make the judgments on their own.”

Sharma also touched upon the growth of hyperlocal news and the need of consumers and independent agencies to take control of their own narrative. “We also need to understand that today is the era of highly localized news or the hyperlocal news as we like to call it. People want to know what is happening in their city, in their immediate neighbourhood, in and around them. That explains the mushrooming of independent media entities in different cities across India. They also want to take control of their own narrative. It is the narrative that has always been led by traditional media entities. And now independent content creators and independent media entities, digital media entities want to set the narrative of news. The biggest threat traditional media faces is from the independent content creators, but it is their ability to fill the gap, which is something that we must look at.”

Speaking about legacy and traditional media houses and their future, Sharma said, “For all those who thought legacy media was over, they must understand the credibility and responsibility of traditional media transcends time. In a digital dispensation, which throws up many challenges, it acts as an enabler at the same time, because it rids us of restrictions of reach in traditional media and print and television. In some sense, it provides an equitable platform that allows us to focus on the content and improve its quality. In the digital era, content is the main driver and brings everyone on an equitable platform.”

Lastly, he added, “My takeaway is that news is here to stay. It is not going to go away, unlike the naysayers or people who are pessimistic about it. I think the very fact that news allows you to express your opinions the way you can, and the way you do is what distinguishes us from the other mediums.”