MUMBAI: Digital media news outlets have launched a self-regulatory body, Indian Digital Media Association (IDMA) - a pro-nation, Indian-owned, Indian-edited and Indian-controlled digital news association.
In a first, digital platforms have come together and formed an association that is aimed to safeguard the interest of not just its members but also actively participate in dialogue with all stakeholders, uphold standards of news reporting in national interest and engage with the government for policy formulation.
The body claims to be the largest conglomeration of digital media platforms.
The founding members of IDMA have a collective unique viewership of over 100 million users and will be guided by the ‘nation first’ principle. IDMA’s founding members include OpIndia.com, Goachronicle.com, Republicworld.com, OTV Digital, DeshGujarat.com, Assamlive.com, NewsX.com, Sundayguardianlive.com and InKhabar.com. Additionally, over 25 digital news members are in the process of being onboarded.
IDMA will be the eyes and ears of digital media platforms to serve as an intermediary on its behalf. It will be the central point of joint action on matters of interest.
In an ever changing world where the digital space has opened up unfathomable avenues, the patterns in consumption of news have also undergone a tectonic change. A large portion of the population consumes information on digital news platforms and aggregators have been thus far unregulated and scattered.
In a statement, the self-regulatory body said, “IDMA aims to ensure that Indian interests are protected against vested foreign interference and control. It stands against all overseas control of the Indian digital media, as it directly compromises Indian interests and Indian users. We strongly believe that it should be our aim to take Indian media global, rather than compromising the interest of Indian readers and their right to information by inviting overseas control, which might not necessarily be inclined to protect the interest of Indian readers and platforms.”
While upholding the values of transparency, IDMA will ensure that member digital news platforms and their ownership is well-defined, unbound to foreign entities by means of editorial leadership and/or ownership.
In a fast changing content environment, digital news platforms have an indispensable role in shaping the future of journalism, unshackle and democratize the flow of information from content creators to consumers and sculpt the national debate around germane issues of national importance.
IDMA hopes to build a nationalistic, dynamic, transparent, ethical and conscientious association that would keep Indian interest, the interest of its readers, journalistic integrity along with industry interests paramount, in our quest to organise a sector that has illimitable potential.
GoaChronicle.com founder and editor-in-chief, Savio Rodrigues said, “The disruption in media in the coming years will be digital. India will see a phenomenal shift towards digital media. Coming together of digital media organisations with their own niche disruptions in Indian digital media space to form an association is the formation of a force to be the true voice of a vibrant India digital media space.”
OpIndia editor Nupur Sharma welcomed the formation of the pro-nation digital media association saying, “Digital media has the potential to not just shape, but change the national discourse. No longer is the news cycle a slave to television media, that seeks punchlines and agendas, not the truth. IDMA is an endeavour to not just strengthen, but organise and advocate for the interest of nationalist digital media that has the potential today to shape the country and what its citizens talk about.”
