Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Fair share: On Big Tech and media content

​Fair share: On Big Tech and media content

Compensation (मुआवजा) of news publishers by Big Tech platforms is a must

In a speech on the occasion of National Press Day last week, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw called attention to the issue of fair compensation to media companies for the use of their content by big technology platforms. The Internet’s rapid growth has created a power imbalance (असंतुलन) between news publishers and large online enterprises which now set the financial terms for their use of content created by others. Many countries are grappling (जूझना, संघर्ष करना) with this issue, and new regulations are taking shape. In Australia and France, Google and Meta are increasingly required to negotiate (वार्ता करना, बातचीत करना) fairer revenue-sharing agreements and licensing deals with publishers. A similar push in India will be an essential step to ensure the continued vibrancy (जीवंतता, ऊर्जा) and financial sustainability of news organisations, which are under threat in their traditional and online formats. The government’s affirmation (पुष्टि, स्वीकृति) of support for fair revenue sharing in favour of news publishers — first expressed last year — is more important than ever. As Artificial Intelligence makes stealthy (गुप्त, चुपचाप), large-scale appropriation of content easier and when new business models are built on that technological capacity, fair compensation for original creators is an urgent question. The time has come to rapidly act to give force to these pronouncements (घोषणा, बयान) through law. The pushback that these steps will likely face from Big Tech platforms make it that much more important to start the work quickly, and with resolve.

The Minister has also expressed concern on the issue of misinformation and fake news. It is important for the government to establish trust as a good faith broker and avoid the temptation (प्रलोभन, लालच) to act as a regulator or censor of content. Trust comes, for instance, by taking steps to improve the public’s media literacy in general. The government’s desire, now stalled by the judiciary — to act as a fact-checker — in fact, to be the final authority over what is or is not true about the Union government, is not helpful. Trust is established by empowering a strong press to pursue and verify falsehoods vigorously (जोरदार ढंग से, उत्साहपूर्वक); and not by state regulation and censorship (The suppression or prohibition of speech or writing is considered harmful). The partisan application of existing rules by authorities that go after the Opposition parties on charges of misinformation while turning a blind eye towards violations by the ruling party must also stop. Only an even-handed application of laws against misinformation will act as a deterrent (निरोधक, अवरोधक) for bad actors. India’s news industry has always suffered from fundamental financial and political challenges. The Internet age offers the opportunity to work on remedies. The firms that control the Internet must be more effectively regulated, and government interventions, which are necessary, must not result in state high-handedness.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Compensation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - मुआवजा
English Meaning - Something given to make up for loss, damage, or work done.

2.Grappling (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - जूझना, संघर्ष करना
English Meaning - Struggling or fighting, especially to overcome a challenge.

3.Negotiate (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - वार्ता करना, बातचीत करना
English Meaning - To discuss and come to an agreement.

4.Vibrancy (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - जीवंतता, ऊर्जा
English Meaning - The quality of being full of energy and life.

5.Affirmation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - पुष्टि, स्वीकृति
English Meaning - A positive statement or confirmation.

6.Stealthy (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - गुप्त, चुपचाप
English Meaning - Done in a way that is secretive or sneaky.

7.Pronouncement (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - घोषणा, बयान
English Meaning - A formal declaration or statement.

8.Temptation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रलोभन, लालच
English Meaning - A desire to do something, especially something wrong or unwise.

9.Vigorously (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - जोरदार ढंग से, उत्साहपूर्वक
English Meaning - With great force or energy.

10.Deterrent (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - निरोधक, अवरोधक
English Meaning - Something that discourages or prevents an action.

11.Imbalance (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - असंतुलन
English Meaning - A lack of proportion or equilibrium.

12.Censorship (Noun)

English Meaning - The suppression or prohibition of speech or writing is considered harmful.