Evaluating Agriculture-Based YouTube Channels as an effective medium for Information Dissemination among Farmers

Over time, the means and ways of communicating with individuals around the world have evolved tremendously. A significant shift is occurring in society, where people's reliance on traditional media is increasingly shifting towards digital media. India is witnessing substantial internet penetration, which is also visible in the rural parts of the country. There are various reasons for this trend, such as easy access to information, the provision of a platform for everyone to express their views, clarity on queries, and the convenience of buying and selling goods. Digital media plays a significant role across different age groups, genders, and sectors; one key group examined in this study is the farmers of India. With the advent of the digital revolution, Indian farmers are utilising various digital platforms—such as YouTube, Facebook, WhatsApp, and other applications—to learn new farming techniques, purchase and sell seeds and fertilisers, improve their crop management strategies, and, broadly, to bring positive changes to their income and livelihoods. However, the quality of content uploaded on social media platforms is still not deeply examined. In this research content from such agriculture-based channels will be studied for finding out what type of content they are producing and, through comments understanding are they actually making any difference.