4 min readNew DelhiOct 23, 2026 04:08 AM ISTVideos were also circulated when detentions happened a few days ago at Jantar Mantar and other sites, where some of the detainees insisted they were journalists and were being stopped from doing their work. (File)CONCERNED OVER the fallout of countless reels generated during the Gen Z protests over the last three months in the Capital and elsewhere, the government is considering setting parameters to distinguish bona fide digital journalists from influencers who see themselves as journalists, The Indian Express has learnt.While the discussions are in early stages, some ideas under consideration include drawing up parameters like journalism being the primary source of income for the influencer, YouTube channel or portal claiming to be engaged in the profession, and a basic level of following for them to be considered practising journalists.The government’s concerns arose in the last three months, since July protests by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) against NEET-UG paper leak, when influencers made multiple videos from protest sites, coined slogans and shot videos of police action on protesters.Also Read | Jantar Mantar to the periphery: Will there be a cost for pushing protests out?Videos were also circulated when detentions happened a few days ago at Jantar Mantar and other sites, where some of the detainees insisted they were journalists and were being stopped from doing their work.“This can also create a situation where bona fide journalists can feel they are facing restrictions because influencers in large numbers are posing as journalists, and often have some kind of an ID card to bolster their claim,” said a source.Also Read | ‘Fight for accountability far from over’: After July protest, protesters return to streetsOne proposal in official circles is to run accreditation requests in the digital space through the parameters they see as distinguishing between influencers and bona fide journalists. The rationale: not everyone carrying a camera and a mobile phone is a bona fide journalist, and privileges that are enjoyed by journalists on account of their calling should not be automatically extended to the former category of people.“Everyone enjoys the basic rights of a citizen. However, restrictions can be placed on what they film or where they go, as per the law. The idea is that any additional access that journalists enjoy could well be limited to only those who are accepted as bona fide journalists as per rationally defined criteria,” a source said.Story continues below this adAlso Read | CJP protest | A city sealed off: Empty roads, barricades and detained protestersWhat has changed the scenario, as far as authorities are concerned, is the sudden explosion of reels on social media, something very different from TV as well as print media news. Many videos recently went viral, leading to a perception that there was a groundswell of anger against the government, and also that the police tried to suppress the protesters with a heavy hand. There were also videos of youngsters using cuss words — something that was flagged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in one of his videos released after the CJP-led protests were called off.The videos circulated by student protesters and influencers created a negative global perception of the government’s handling of the protests, and also rendered much of the TV media ineffective, said sources. It is these videos that have set the government thinking about how to combat this new kind of challenge, the sources said. Vikas Pathak is deputy associate editor with The Indian Express and writes on national politics. He has over 17 years of experience, and has worked earlier with The Hindustan Times and The Hindu, among other publications. He has covered the national BJP, some key central ministries and Parliament for years, and has covered the 2009 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls and many state assembly polls. He has interviewed many Union ministers and Chief Ministers. Vikas has taught as a full-time faculty member at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai; Symbiosis International University, Pune; Jio Institute, Navi Mumbai; and as a guest professor at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. Vikas has authored a book, Contesting Nationalisms: Hinduism, Secularism and Untouchability in Colonial Punjab (Primus, 2018), which has been widely reviewed by top academic journals and leading newspapers. He did his PhD, M Phil and MA from JNU, New Delhi, was Student of the Year (2005-06) at ACJ and gold medalist from University Rajasthan College in Jaipur in graduation. He has been invited to top academic institutions like JNU, St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and IIT Delhi as a guest speaker/panellist. ... Read More