SANJAY SAHAY
The recent furore over the remarks of Ranveer Allahbadiya and civil society and the government going hammer and tongs against him and the cohort manifests the changed dynamics of the public domain. The vestiges of the old public-domain dinosaurs are still there, but it has waned considerably in the open. That electronic media is dependent on social media for its input even regularly is to state the obvious. They have bitten to dust operationally as they share the first bite from X. The critical issue is that social media is standing on its own feet while the electronic media are at their weakest in history, trying to put up a brave front.
YouTube and Rise of Independent Content Creators
The electronic media also makes its presence felt through their YouTube channels. YouTube rules the world of videos of any type. The present generation is fed on it. The Podcasters and YouTubers have made a world of difference, and their millions’ following elevates them to a level of what is popularly termed as influencers. The capability of 24/7 availability of the content and that too on your mobile has made it a different ball game altogether. What has made the real transformation is the immense potential of getting your content monetised. That is the reason people are coming in hordes to become the content creators.
YouTube: A One-Person Industry
YouTube has created one-person industries with the nature of wealth it generates, simultaneously making you a voice to be heard. You become a sought-after person, and there is everybody out to get impressed by you and there are loads of people who want to cajole you for their own business interests. You become a brand ambassador of types. YouTube has become an integral and mostly a critical element of your social media strategy, more so if you want to make a mark single handedly to start with and there would be lots who would collaborate with you. YouTube’s Creator Awards reaching specific subscriber milestones has become a batch of honour.
Uncertain Boundaries of Content Moderation
With all the name, fame, acclaim and money of the YouTube heroes, one is not very sure of the modalities by which the community guidelines are invoked. Does it happen automatically or is it taken as a grievance redressal? How does it factor in hate speech and explicit sexual content? Are country laws really taken care of? In the current raging debate in India on YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia, and his cohorts in the “India’s Got Latent” episode, expose the wide crevices in the YouTube / social media ecosystem. Self-regulation is not to be seen, the content is taken off on the government’s directive. The government and police are breathing down the neck of these social media influencers for having broken the laws of the land. This legal battle will decide the new equilibrium.
ARE THERE LEGAL AND ETHICAL BOUNDARIES OF COMEDY OR CAN IT BE ALLOWED A FREE RUN, WHATEVER COME MAY.
(The writer is a former Karnataka cadre IPS officer, Founder & Director, TechConPro, Cyber Security Expert, Professional Public Speaker & Writer. Hailing from Palamu, Jharkhand, he lives in Bangalore.)
