Day after revenue-sharing push for content creators, Vaishnaw says changes must be undertaken in consultative manner

Ashwini Vaishnaw at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit

• Vaishnaw urges fair revenue sharing for content creators
• He calls for consultative approach with social media platforms
• Unfair pay may harm content quality and growth.

Did our AI summary help?

A day after he urged social media platforms to ensure fair sharing of revenue with the people creating content, union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said it needs to be undertaken in a very consultative manner.

Vaishnaw was speaking at the News18 Rising Bharat Summit.

What Vaishnaw said on revenue sharing

Speaking at the Summit, Vaishnaw said that content creators and media houses invest a lot in getting the entire network in place – from journalists, reporters, editorial checks and others.

“It’s very important that the hard work and effort is rewarded in a fair way. Practically, every country is today thinking that there has to be a fairer way of sharing revenue because the revenue today is going to the platform first and then the content creators. We have content creators across the country who are creating huge amount of good and high quality content,” he said.

“Therefore, when the Gen Bharat are content creators, they must get fair share of the revenue and the media which has developed over more than couple of centuries that large base of trust,” Vaishnaw added.

On being questioned about the revenue sharing model, Vaishnaw said it must be undertaken in a very consultative manner.

Earlier on Thursday, Vaishnaw, while speaking at the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) Conclave, had said that social media platforms must share revenue in a fair way with the people who are creating the content.

“Social media platforms must also share revenue in a fair way with the people who are creating the content, whether it is news persons, conventional media, creators sitting in far-flung areas, influencers, the professors and researchers who are disseminating their work using the platforms,” he said.

“Everywhere the principle now has to be set right,” he said, calling for equitable monetisation models across platforms.

He emphasised that intellectual property has historically powered societal progress. “If original content is not fairly compensated, then the growth of science, technology, arts and literature will get stunted,” he warned.

“I will request all the platforms to rethink your revenue sharing policies. If this is not done voluntarily, there are so many countries which have shown the path to get it done in a legal way,” said the minister.