A local Youtuber was summoned by Meghalaya Police on Tuesday for allegedly disseminating 'news -like" sensitive information using his social media platforms and was tutored on how to disseminate information of public interest responsibly.
He was also asked to abstain from using images and other sensitive information to push his viewership without verification from the concerned authorities, a senior police officer said.
"One individual who has been disseminating information in the form of news through YouTube without following due and proper procedure as per norms to function as a media outlet was summoned yesterday," additional superintendent of police of East Khasi Hills, Vivek Syiem told PTI.
He said the individual was educated on the nuances of engaging oneself in the information disseminating field, especially with regards to proper procedure of getting officially acknowledged by relevant authorities, following certain protocols and procedures and maintaining a strict code of ethics.
There are a large number of individuals who are coming up with news outlets using YouTube, Facebook, Instagram platforms without following any registration process or having legal sanctity, Syiem said. These outlets do not have any official source of verifying information and are susceptible to hearsay and speculative reporting, he said. The police have noted that there have been numerous instances of improper publication and telecast of images, inaccurate or unsubstantial and unverified information which has caused confusion amongst the people, Syiem added.
