65% of video consumption in rural India: Smriti Irani
New Delhi, April 27: An average Indian spends 200 minutes a day on mobile apps and 65 per cent of video consumption the country is from rural areas, said Union Minister Smriti Irani on Friday.
In the backdrop of latest data, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister called upon the media and entertainment industry to think about new things that can be offered to consumers.
Speaking at the 69th valedictory session of Development Journalism Course at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication here, Irani said that times had changed and the journalist was no longer the last word on a given piece of news.
"Things have changed from the time when editor had the last word on the narrative. Now consumer also decides on the narrative and asks about the source of information. In this age of data exploding from every nook and corner, many would google every piece of information, and therefore, it is important to be credible," Irani said.
The Minister said the video consumption in rural areas was set to grow further in the days ahead, according to an official release.
"An average Indian spends 200 minutes a day on mobile apps and 65 per cent of video consumption in our country is only from rural areas and is slated to grow further. In this scenario, the media and entertainment industry should think about what new things can be offered to the consumers," the release quoted her as saying.
Irani announced a scholarship of Rs 25,000 in commemoration of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay for the people of Indian origin who did exemplary work in development journalism, and awarded certificates to 25 development journalism students from 16 countries.
On the occasion, she also inaugurated National Media Faculty Development Center on the IIMC Campus. She launched ECHO Newsletter, Samachar Madhyam and Communicator magazines.
The Minister stressed on developing communication at the grassroots.
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Man accused of rape-murder of 5-year-old lynched to death in Bengal; Girl’s body found in pond
Alipurduar: A 40-year-old man accused of raping and murdering a five-year-old girl was allegedly tied to a tree and beaten to death by agitated locals in Alipurduar district located in West Bengal on Friday evening. Later, another man surrendered before the police claiming he was also involved in the crime, and was subsequently arrested.
The girl went missing on Friday evening. When her family began searching for the girl, they learned that she had last been seen with Mona Roy, as reported by the Indian Express.
The police said that the girl’s body was found floating in a local pond. They added that the locals caught Roy and took him to his residence where they allegedly noticed blood on the bed. Enraged by this, they tied Roy to a tree and started assaulting him.
Roy was beaten to death before the local police could reach the spot.
When the police arrived at the scene, angry locals prevented them from moving the two bodies. Eventually, a large team of police personnel was sent to the location. After two hours, they were able to remove the bodies from the area.
The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination.
Meanwhile, a man named Bhakta Roy approached the police, claiming that he was involved in the crime and feared for his safety from the angry mob. He was subsequently arrested.
Y. Raghuvanshi, Superintendent of Police, Alipurduar, asserted it is a heinous crime, adding that they have started a detailed investigation in connection to the incident.
