Print media has been in trouble for a while now, and even news channels — while relatively better off — have been dealing with dwindling viewership. All the while, digital media was touted as the saviour of the Fourth Estate.

Without the shackles of high overhead costs, excessive dependence on advertising revenue, and the strict censorship normally experienced by traditional media, the alternative digital news media has been viewed as an answer sent from above. Social media platforms have become a big part of the news media, with Indians now preferring to consume news via their smartphones, reveals the Reuters Institute’s Digital News Report 2025. YouTube is the top preference (55 per cent) for Indians who track news on their handheld devices, states the report. It is closely followed by WhatsApp at 46 per cent, Instagram (37 per cent), and Facebook (36 per cent).