Editorial checks in traditional press missing in social media era: Ashwini Vaishnaw [Video]

Editorial checks in traditional press played a crucial role in bringing accountability which is missing in the era of social media, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said on Wednesday.

Answering a question in the Lok Sabha, the minister highlighted the need to strengthen existing laws governing social media and over-the-top (OTT) platforms and build a societal consensus.

“We are living in the era of social media and OTT platforms. However, the democratic institutions and traditional forms of the press that once relied on editorial checks to ensure accountability and correctness of content, have seen these checks diminish over time,” Vaishnaw noted.

The minister further stated that due to the absence of such editorial oversight, social media has become a platform for freedom of the press on one hand, but on the other hand, “it has also become a space for uncontrolled expression, which often includes vulgar …