Yogi’s Social Media Policy Kicks Off A Follow-Up In Karnataka

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath was much in the news recently for launching Uttar Pradesh Digital Media Policy, 2024, under which it was decided to prepare a list of social media influencers who will receive state advertisements for promoting schemes and achievements of the state government. Those sharing information on government schemes, initiatives and projects were offered a choice of earning up to Rs 8 lakh through government’s advertisements. The influencers were to be rated according to the number of subscribers and followers they have on online platforms. These influencers were to be paid a maximum of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 4 lakh, Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for their accounts on X, Facebook and Instagram. Yogi’s move provoked a caustic post from Congress leader Priyanka Vadra who tweeted saying, “Jo tum ko pasand vahi baat kahenge,tum dinko agar raat kaho to hum raat kahenge.” She went on to ask in which category will the voices of women seeking justice fall in the social media policy of the UP government? Netizens promptly trolled her as they found that it was not the first time that a state government was using social media influencers. Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot had relied on influencers in the run-up state elections in 2023. AAP ruled Punjab had already incentivised influencers.  Around the same time as Yogi, the Congress government in Karnataka too had announced it would engage influencers and other digital media entities with 1 lakh followers to promote its schemes and programmes. In Telangana, CM Revanth Reddy has hired former Deccan Chronicle Editor Sriram Karri as media & communications director.  Of course, media outreach that began in the states has a Delhi dimension too.  It is being said PM Modi has already initiated his series of informal interactions with journos.