“Private media, which is supposed to be independent and the fourth pillar of the democracy, has virtually collapsed,” argues Vinod Dua, India’s veteran TV presenter and producer.
Cine Ink presents a documentary film entitled ‘The Digital Migration’ produced by Hamza Naseem Ansari, a Masters student of Digital Media at the Metropolitan University of London.
The documentary talks to some of India’s established broadcasters about the role of the digital media in shaping news and current affairs of the country.
Media experts such as Pankaj Pachauri, Founder & MD of GO News, a digital platform of TV news, Vijaylaxmi Chhabra, Former DG, Doordarshan, Vinod Dua, veteran TV Anchor & Producer, Rajesh Priyadarshi, Digital Editor, BBC Hindi, Abhisar Sharma, Journalist and ABP News Anchor and Mili Agarwal, Fashion Blogger & Assistant Prof of Mass Communication appear in the documentary to discuss the process of digital migration.
Abhisar Sharma feels the same. “Conventional Media is losing sheen because a section of the media has suddenly turned as spokespersons of the current establishment. I mean they do a better job than the spokespersons of the government, of the political party,” says Mr Sharma.
Pankaj Pachauri, who has launched his own company Go News, a digital platform of news, admits that the conventional media has lost its sheen but he is realistic in his assessment. “India is the only market where print, television, and digital media all three are growing,” he says.
Rajesh Priyadarshi has seen the digital world from a close quarter. He says, “Digital Media is emerging as an alternative media- alternative to print and television, because of ownership issues, because of political interference, big companies and market forces.”
Former Director General of state-controlled television network, Doordarshan, Vijaya Laxmi Chhabra is optimistic that the conventional media too would adapt change.
“Any new discovery or any new thing is never a threat, it’s a progression. Television wasn’t threat to radio. It was a different medium. There was no need for radio to feel threatened. Radio had to find a separate corner for itself. Similarly, radio, television and newspapers have to co-exist, probably, have to make themselves more pacy, and they have to have their own digital platforms,” says the former DG, DD.
Mili Agarwal wears many hats. She’s an academic, fashion blogger and radio tv producer. “I won’t say that conventional media will die out. I mean conventional media especially if you talk about India- Print media and all- it’s been on a rise, radio, television and newspapers- it’s been rising in India. It wouldn’t die out, but definitely Digital has given traditional media more healthy competition, I would say. So it’s a win-win situation for the audiences, because audiences are spoilt for choices. So even now, traditional media can no longer be complacent. It has to raise its game,” says Ms Agarwal.
As size of the revenue for digital media expands in India, ‘The Digital Migration’ seeks to analyse why and how the digital transformation is taking place in the Indian electronic media. The film explores the journey of some of India’s top television professionals to the digital world. ‘The Digital Migration’ talks to TV anchors, executives, mass communication students and others to discover their understanding of these changes in order to analyse the rise of new media platforms in India.
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