Valley scribes protest new media policy
SRINAGAR:: A group of journalists in Srinagar on Monday staged a protest against the new media policy of the Jammu and Kashmir administration and termed it as an attempt to gag the freedom of speech.
During the protest organised by the J&K Media Guild, the journalists demanded a rollback of the policy which has been framed by bureaucrats and government officials. A spokesperson of the J&K Media Guild said, “This new policy is totally unacceptable to us. If it is implemented, journalists will not be able to report fairly and officials will always look for alibi to frame them.”
He said mediapersons in J&K, especially in Kashmir, are already facing a lot of problems and this will only add to it.
A protester said, “We live in a democratic country where free media is allowed but this new policy is aimed at curtailing the freedom of press. Journalists will resist this at any cost.”
The chorus against the new media policy has been growing in the Union territory with many calling it as an attempt to sabotage the independence of journalists.
The policy was approved by the J&K administration last month stating that it was meant for effective communication and public outreach.
The administration had also stated that the policy attempts to “thwart misinformation, fake news and tries to develop a mechanism that will raise alarm against any attempt to use the media to vitiate public peace, sovereignty and integrity of the country”.