Amid concerns that Indian news channels were sensationalising the conflict in West Asia, the Union government on March 6 directed the Broadcast Audience Research Council to suspend the publication of Television Rating Points for at least a month.

The council measures the viewership of channels in a business in which the metrics are important to attract advertisers.

Curiously, the channels have not pushed back against the order, the Business Standard noted on March 29. The reason for this silence is that news channels, like overall traditional TV, are on the decline, industry professionals told the newspaper.

With news constituting just 7% of all content consumed on TV and more viewers watching shows and clips online, TRPs are losing their importance.

Some of these online creators include YouTube news channels that are finding remarkable traction, with the platform becoming a go-to medium for the masses.

4PM News UP has 1.7 million subscribers and has been viewed more than 600 million times since 2021. Article 19 News has 4.5 million subscribers and 1.3 billion views since 2020. National Dastak has had 10.8 million subscribers and 4.3 billion views in the past decade. They also post on other platforms such as Facebook.

They stand apart because of their content. They report stories that are relevant to those on the margins...

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