Government regulations urgent for provocative one-person media

Government regulations for personal broadcaster seem urgent as contents from the one-man media have become more provocative and suggestive in recent years. Graphics by Cho Sang-won

By Kim Hyun-bin

As technology advances, personal broadcasting can be operated by anyone with a camera and an electronic device. As a result, the number of so-called “one-man media” has surged drastically over the years, and running outlets such as YouTube channels has become a popular profession.

However, an increase in provocative and suggestive content to stimulate nerves and maximize profitability, coupled with a lack of regulations, is raising red flags, as anyone even young children could have easy access to their clips.

Afreeca TV, YouTube and other personal broadcasting platforms have come under fire for airing lascivious and violent content as of late.

Recently a YouTube channel aired an “exclusive disclosure” that singer Kim Gun-mo raped a bar worker. As the channel gained public attention, it continued that there was another sexual violence case committed by one of hosts of the now finished TV program “Infinite Challenge.”

But it stopped there without revealing who the offender was and what evidence exists, only making the former “Infinite Challenge” hosts deny the allegations.

Angered by such “disclosure without grounds,” thousands of people posted petitions on the Cheong Wa Dae website calling for the channel's forcible closure.

But there is no way to forcibly close the channel under the current law, in which regulations on “media” are slated toward mainly TV broadcasts including cable and satellite TV, as well as radio, print and online and portal news.

Broadcast content is regulated under the Broadcast Act, which the stations and providers have to abide by basic principles including respecting human rights and social ethics and banning discrimination based on religion or ethnicity. In addition, to protect children, the stations need to implement a rating system to classify broadcast content based on suitability for audiences.

But these regulation are not applied to the single-person media industry, and in reality there are barely any restrictions for them. Such media is only subject to general and broad regulations on internet content.

In the case of YouTube, if a YouTuber carries unethical content such as profanity, violence or adult content, it does not delete the videos but instead cuts off advertising revenue.

“There are no legal regulations to stop provocative one-person media broadcasts unless someone takes legal action for defamation,” a journalism professor said.

“Only TV stations, cable broadcasts and IPTV are regulated, while other social media broadcasts are not. Currently a revision of the Broadcast Act is pending at the National Assembly but sitting idle.”

The revision is aimed at having YouTube and other over-the-top (OTT) platforms be included and managed under the Broadcast Act.

“The problem is that news is being produced by one or a limited number of people, and instead of focusing on objectivity, they tend to express their opinions,” said Yoo Soo-jung, a professor of communication media research at Ewha Womans University. “Anyone can upload content freely but the unrestricted atmosphere is causing side effects such as distribution of false information, but there are no ways to swiftly block it.”

The Korean government has been pushing to strengthen regulations on personal broadcasters to hold them more liable for provocative content they choose to air, but it has been highly unsuccessful.

In 2015, the Korea Communications Standards Commission established internet broadcast guidelines, but it was highly ineffective due to its lack of enforcement.

In 2018, the commission and internet broadcast stations jointly established the Clean Internet Broadcast Council and released guidelines, which also failed to produce results.

Some experts call for education for one-person media providers.

“We can't blame several individual creators. Suggestive and provocative yellow journalism has made viewers want such content, and it is natural for creators, who have also become accustomed to such journalism, to produce such content,” a professor said in a forum held at the National Assembly in November.

Participants of the forum said the nation needs to make education on media ethics mandatory at schools, and have media content providers, both individuals and companies, receive such education as well.

“Unlike the growing size of one-person media and its influence, it is not categorized as press and thus is free from regulations on conventional press. Thus, recklessly made provocative content could have a negative influence on the people,” independent Rep. Yoo Sung-yop said. “When proper legal regulations are set, the internet media market, including the one-person one, will take a leap.”