A trade body representing Indian Owned digital media platforms, Indian Digital Media Association has been launched with a motto of “Putting Nation’s Interest First”.
A statement issued by IDMA said, “The founding members of IDMA have a collective unique viewership of over a 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. We are happy to announce that additionally over 25 digital news members are being presently onboarded. “
For the first time in history, the largest conglomeration of Digital platforms have formed an association that is aimed to safeguard the interest of not just member digital platforms 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.
As a self regulatory body, IDMA will be the eyes and ears of digital media platforms, to serve as an intermediary on its behalf. IDMA will be the central point of joint action on matters of interest. The founding members of IDMA have a collective unique viewership of over a 100 million combined and are in a unique position to drive the ‘nation first’ narrative effectively.
In an ever changing world where the digital space has opened up unfathomable avenues, the patterns in consumption of news has 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.
Taking pride in being a conglomeration which is completely owned by Indians, IDMA will serve with the guiding principle of being 100% Indian, uncompromisingly nationalistic and will take the voice of India to the world.
Nationalistic media platforms of the country have come together as IDMA to do uphold a vision for India that is not directly or surreptitiously owned by foreign elements.
IDMA aims to ensure that Indian interests are protected against vested foreign interference and control. IDMA 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.
With the distinct focus on the same, IDMA will uphold the values of transparency and ensure that member digital news platforms and their ownership is well-defined, unbound to foreign entities by means of editorial leadership and/or ownership.
It is the founding members’ firm belief that the rampant corruption of news stems from vested interests and their stakes in digital news media that owe their allegiance to interests other than those of India. We believe that it is time for Indian editors and owners to come together and fight the onslaught of foreign ownership and editorship, since the attempts by foreign entities and organisations to corrupt news by pushing vested global agendas unethically are at its zenith.
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.
We hope 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. “
Speaking about IDMA, Savio Rodrigues, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, GoaChronicle.com 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.”
Nupur Sharma, Editor OpIndia, 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 endeavor 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 talks about.”
