I&B Ministry to consider in near future to extend PIB accreditation to Digital Media Journalists

The Information and Broadcasting  Ministry will consider in the near future to extend the facilities and benefits for entities engaged in Uploading and  Streaming of News and Current Affairs through Digital Media which are presently available to Print and Television media.

These benefits include PIB accreditation for its reporters, cameramen, videographers enabling them with better first-hand information and access including participation in official press conferences and other interactions. Besides, persons with PIB accreditation can also avail of CGHS benefits and concessional rail fare as per the extant procedure.

Eligibility for digital advertisements through the Bureau of Outreach and Communication will also be considered. It said, on the lines of self-regulating bodies in print and electronic media, entities in digital media may be able to form self-regulating bodies for furthering their interests and interaction with the Government.

News aggregators, news agencies which supply information to digital media firms, and companies uploading news and current affairs on websites will have to comply with the 26% foreign investment cap, the government said on Friday.

News aggregators which, using software/web applications, aggregates news content from various sources, such as news websites, blogs, podcasts, video blogs, in one location along with news agencies which gather, writes, and distributes/transmits news, directly or indirectly, to digital media entities will also come under its purview.