How independent journos are influencing the news landscape
News consumption in India has undergone a shift in recent years thanks to social media and independent journalists and influencers who are changing how news is dispensed. Independent channels by figures like Dhruv Rathee, Ravish Kumar, Ranveer Allahbadia, Faye D’Souza, or other channels like Mojo Story, Newslaundry, UNFILTERED by Samdish have been attracting viewers seeking reliable information, challenging traditional media and changing how news spreads in India. These influencers, each with over a million followers, have been reshaping the media landscape. According to industry experts, an independent channel on YouTube with million subscribers can make around Rs 5-8 lakh per episode. The revenue can be much higher for some channels. According to media reports, Ravish Kumar earns Rs 33 lakh to Rs one crore monthly from his YouTube channel. Dhruv Rathee is reportedly the highest-paid YouTuber in India, earning between Rs 40-50 lakh monthly. His earnings likely come from a combination of YouTube ad revenue, sponsorships, and other collaborations. Also, apart from that some channels also do brand collaborations which also contribute to their annual revenue. While these independent channels receive millions of views on YouTube and generate millions of impressions on their social media accounts, experts say monetization remains a struggle for many of them. However, the industry is hopeful that the equation might change soon. Growth drivers? Experts say that more people have been turning to news influencers on platforms like YouTube and Instagram because they are tired of raucous news debates on TV. This change shows that people want news that's clear and reliable. Faye D’Souza, an Indian journalist with a significant following on platforms like YouTube and Instagram, highlighted a shift in audience behavior over the past five to ten years. According to her, viewers have become more discerning, particularly noting a decline in the credibility of television news. She pointed out that contemporary news media is no longer impartial or independent but instead exhibits noticeable biases and takes clear sides on issues. This observation underscores a growing dissatisfaction among audiences who seek objective and unbiased reporting, a trend that has contributed to the rise of alternative media sources and platforms. "Fundamentally, the reason is that television news has lost all credibility in the last five years. The audience is now seeking alternatives. I would say this is the biggest moment for news on YouTube, Instagram, and other social media platforms because there is a significant gap in the service, and people are actively looking for alternatives,” said D’Souza. According to Shradha Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO- Grapes, with a staggering 476 million YouTube viewers in India, the impact has been undeniable. YouTube influencers have been emerging as voices of reason, providing fact-checking and crucial context to news through their engaging storytelling styles. “Target groups from various age brackets have been glued to their mobile screens to consume their content, driven by the desire for knowledge and reshaped opinions. In short, these influencers have filled the information gap, leading to a surge in subscribers, reach, followers, and comments. The like-to-view ratio has notably increased in recent months,” shared Agarwal. Big on viewership If we talk about the recent election coverage, most of these independent channels on YouTube crossed millions of views. Some of the reportage received better views than most of the legacy news media YouTube channels. For instance, Ravish Kumar who has 11.2 million subscribers on YouTube, received over 5 million views on exit poll videos. On the other hand, Dhruv Rathee with 22.8 million subscribers, received 17 million views to 25 million views on elections related reports. On the other hand, UNFILTERED by Samdish with over 1 million subscribers has millions of views on elections related reports. “No doubt that there has been a plethora of YouTube channels / Instagram influencers as well as multiple other social media influencers catering to the news section and they have gained tremendous traction which you can see in channels like Lallantop or Dhruv rathee, etc,” said Vivek Menon, Managing Partner, NV CAPITAL. These influencers have significantly increased their reach and influence, evidenced by soaring subscriber counts and high engagement metrics like likes and comments. They leverage platforms beyond YouTube, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, to extend their audience even further, reflecting a broader trend away from traditional news channels. “A noteworthy point is that these influencers are known for delivering serious content, reflecting people's enthusiasm for credible information. For example, Dhruv Rathee gained 2.5 million YouTube subscribers in April alone, highlighting his significant reach and the correlation between viewership and monetization. Additionally, these political influencers use other social media platforms to popularize their short reels (30-60 seconds) on Facebook and WhatsApp groups, further expanding their audience base,” said Agarwal. Money follows viewership? Karan Taurani, SVP, Elara Capital shared, “Despite high view counts on platforms like YouTube, monetization remains a challenge for many, although influencers can earn money through ads based on view counts. This shift is especially notable in political news, which remains relatively untapped in the influencer domain, posing both opportunities and challenges as the digital news landscape evolves.” According to industry experts, an independent channel on YouTube with million subscribers can make around Rs 5-8 lakh per episode. Also, apart from that some channels also do brand collaborations which also contribute to their annual revenue. Faye D’Souza pointed out the financial disparity between YouTube creators and traditional TV studios, noting that while independent news lacks the substantial budgets of corporate media, it can still monetize through YouTube. She highlighted varying revenue streams based on video performance and audience demographics. Additionally, D’Souza discussed collaborations with brands on topics like women's empowerment and LGBTQI rights, creating tailored content that aligns with these causes. This strategy enables independent journalism to thrive amidst changing media dynamics. Meanwhile Menon added, though the monetisation system currently is not that favourable for digital content creators unless you get into the 5-10 million+ consumer zone, which is the case with many of the bigger individual networks and as and when your videos start gaining traction and the virality factor starts kicking in, the monetisation engine starts kicking and working in your favour. “This trend will only continue to expand and will surely compete with the linear news network for eyeballs. Given the exponential growth of digital ad revenues as well as the consumption of digital media amongst the younger generation, new age digital news outlets would surely be a force to reckon with in the future,” said Menon. In a way, YouTube has proven to be a game-changer in content consumption, as India boasts the world's largest YouTube subscriber base, added Agarwal. She said, “This shift in news consumption patterns indicates that many people now prefer YouTube over traditional news channels. This trend has created stiff competition for news channels, as consumers have a wide variety of content to choose from and their favorite influencers to follow.” For more updates, be socially connected with us on
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