Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Press Corps (JKPC) a registered Press body of leading daily newspapers, convened a meeting on Tuesday to address concerns over prejudicial and misleading video report by Delhi-based Newslaundry website on its YouTube channel.
The meeting chaired by JKPC President Ayaz Hafiz was attended by representatives of Rising Kashmir, Kashmir Observer, Kashmir Monitor, Kashmir Images, Daily Aftab, Morning Kashmir, Daily Uqab, Daily Gadiyal, Good Morning Kashmir, Kashmir scan, Era of Kashmir Srinagar Jung, Kashmir Rays, Kashmir convener, KNS, State Times, Etc Etc Etc.
The meeting strongly condemned the Newslaundry’s video report describing the reportage prejudicial and malicious. They further asserted that video report ultimate objective appears to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in the Union Territory and malign the media fraternity.
The JKPC discussed “Inside Kashmir’s Media Crisis: The Real Story no one is telling this election,” presented by Manisha Pande on the Newslaundry YouTube channel. According to the JKPC, the propaganda video of the Newslaundry seeks to subvert the narrative on Kashmir, falsely portraying the region as regressive and sans press freedom. “This is a deliberate attempt to falsify the ground reality and distort the true picture of press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the Kashmir Valley,” the meeting concluded.
The JKPC accused the Newslaundry of deliberately discrediting the mainstream media in Kashmir by labelling it ‘Pamphlet’ and ignoring hard work of reporters and professional journalistic ethics followed by the newspapers. The members emphasized that the content undermines the integrity of the local press and casts unfounded aspersions on the editorial policies of Kashmir’s daily newspapers.
It further said that the presenter is pained to see the media reports about the Prime Minister of India and the Home Minister on the front pages. Even if these lead reports are derived from the recent Jammu and Kashmir visits of the Prime Minister and Home Minister.
She anticipates that what the PM speaks about Kashmir and the Jammu and Kashmir policy must not occupy the front pages in Kashmir. Instead such reports must be put in oblivion and must not catch the reader’s gaze, it said, adding that this positioning is indeed suspicious and belittles the ethics of journalism. Not only has she offered unsolicited advice asking the newspapers published from Kashmir to give prominence to the stories that highlight Kashmir as a conflict zone, it said.
She has an issue with the transformation that is encouraging the people to uphold peace. She has problems with the mainstream news being published from the valley and bringing the emergence of peace in the public domain. This is not only malicious but suspicious. At whose behest is she interested to project Kashmir as the land of bloodshed and abnormality when during the Lok Sabha Elections people created new records in terms of voting percentage and sent their elected representatives to the Parliament?
After the successful completion of the first phase of the Assembly Elections people are enthusiastic to cast their vote in the second phase as well. She has issues why the newspapers from Kashmir are publishing the mainstream news that projects Jammu and Kashmir as the nucleus of change and peace. She has issues with the standard and quality of journalism being maintained by Kashmir’s newspapers amid competition and challenges. Instead of appreciating the professional journalism being upheld by the media in Kashmir she wants to draw the sadistic pleasure. She does not stop here; she offers consultancy, which no one has asked her, regarding the editorial policy. She claims in her video that she is highlighting the gagging of the press. But what will she say about her video in which she dictates the policy for the valley based newspapers? We are compelled to ask the Newslaundry as to its editorial policy?
The JKPC members opined that the video of the Newslaundry makes it amply clear that it wants to foment unrest and is acting on the behest of the elements that derive pleasure from the violence and subversion in Kashmir. It wants to project Kashmir as the land of violence. It does not want the development and peace to be restored. Moreover, the JKPC observed that News Laundry has the editorial policy of projecting Kashmir as a conflict zone when there has been an on ground change after the abrogation of the Article 370 and 35 A.
The JKPC asks the Judiciary to take cognizance of this type of subversive reporting that wants Jammu and Kashmir again on the brink of conflict and is posing a threat to the responsible media that projects the real picture of peaceful and progressive Kashmir. Newspapers published from Kashmir have every right to analyse and frame their editorials on the issues that concern public interest and territorial integrity of India. No one can gag the Kashmir based newspapers and dictate terms to them when it comes to the freedom of press. This kind of pressure tactics and misleading, malicious report by the Newslaundry is nothing but subversion to encourage the elements who want to drown Jammu and Kashmir again in the quagmire of ethno-religious conflict.
“For more than three decades newspapers in Kashmir have been working as the guardians of human rights and democracy with utmost sense of responsibility,” they stated. Later, the media fraternity reaffirmed their resolve to uphold freedom of press and the national interest at all costs. It also warned the entire nation to be aware of those with vested interests and fissiparous tendencies masquerading as media but are actually acting as enemies of professional press fraternity.
“We appeal to the entire media fraternity across the nation to condemn the Newslaundry report and stand in support of the progressive media in Kashmir that is working tirelessly to guard the national interests and the press freedom in Jammu and Kashmir”, they added.
