Mohd Irfan
Since there is no law or guideline to regulate news portal except Information Technology Act 2000 in country, the LG Administration should frame rules and regulation for the operation news-portal, so that Police proceed as per the rules, if someone creates law and problem or indulges in anti-national activities.
Unabated growth of the news portals going on unabated which is a cause of concern across the Jammu and Kashmir. Media considered as fourth pillar of democracy, is required to upholds the very fabric and sanctity so that the ethics and professionalism be implemented in its entirety. But given the unprecedented opening of the portals across the Jammu which has become a potent threat across the society.
It been has observed that some people who have been operating news portals do not possess requisite qualifications, since no lines have been drawn to deal with this issue. “In some cases, misuse of media is being reported all most on daily bases, resultantly the uncontrolled ‘journalists’ mic-mobile phone holders pressurize government officials for their personal gain.
This has become a practice as of now with each passing day that the youths of teen age coupled with several owners of portals even don’t know the basics of the journalism, they are carrying on their profession very unprofessionally, they do the stories which provoke the sentiments of their respondents. For which even DC Jammu has a taken strong note of the working of these electronic portals who called upon them to furnish the details of their portals and this is a welcome move of the DC Jammu to keep a vigil on these unscrupulous portals which due to not well versed with the ethics of the Media aired the controversial stories and which creates law and order problem for the administration.
Abrupt increase in the growth of the electronic portals takes place as those ones who are running the portals even without seeking the permission in the absence of any rules for regulations these outlets, can easily falls in trap of anti-national forces, and would be probed a catastrophe. It has been also observed some self-style journalists are running anti-national narrative in vulnerable J&K, which is facing Pak sponsored terrorism for last more than three decades. Recently, Jammu Kashmir Police arrested a terrorist, Talib Hussain Shah, who not only affiliated with BJP, but also working as a journalist with a news portal.
Social media is being used to disseminate un-checked content by some the news portals and the newspapers, even the TV channels use this platform for a wide reach of audience. All news portal are fully dependent on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and other application for spreading their content.
Facebook and YouTube are two major platform, where majority of new media users spend their most of time, but unfortunately, in absence of any regulation these platforms are being misused. Some people who are running anti India, narrative from its soil, airing biased and selective content to radicalize the youth. Radicalization of youth contributes a lot to overshadow the untired efforts being made by the government of India for the Jammu and Kashmir.
It pertinent to mention here that the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on June 4, 2022 had directed the Union Territory administration to take appropriate action expeditiously on mushrooming of news portals without due procedure of law.
