Mumbai, India – A male journalist on one channel confronts an Indian Muslim man about his support for Palestinians, questioning whether he stood with Hindus in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, on another channel, a journalist asks a Muslim resident of Ayodhya if Muslims are happy about a Ram temple replacing a centuries-old mosque. On yet another channel, a female anchor alleges a conspiracy to turn Kerala into an ‘Islamic State’, with no evidence to back her claim.
India, with over 460 million users, is YouTube’s largest market, with four out of five internet users in India consuming its content. More and more Indians are turning to YouTube for news, but what they find is not always reliable. Some of the most popular YouTube news channels in India are spreading disinformation and Islamophobia, often supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while attacking critics and opposition leaders.
While partisan YouTube influencers making political content is common, these channels claim to be ‘news’ channels, presenting fact-based reportage. However, they often mock and attack Modi’s rivals and peddle conspiracy theories about Muslims harming Hindus, aligning with the BJP’s campaign efforts.
Despite being lesser known than mainstream news channels, these YouTube channels have millions of viewers, playing a significant role in shaping how India consumes news as the country prepares for its national election.
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