Vernacular Media: Battling Algorithms for Digital Reach

As India’s internet user base rapidly expands into rural communities, over 98 percent of new digital consumers prefer content in Indic languages. However, regional vernacular newsrooms continue to struggle against big-tech algorithms that historically favor national English and Hindi platforms.

The Bharat Media Association advocates for algorithmic transparency and investments in AI-powered translation tools to level the digital playing field. Supporting independent Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Bengali publishers is critical to democratizing information access for India's diverse, non-English-speaking majority.