MEDIA IN FOCUS
Recently a UT administration has drafted a new media policy aimed at creating a better coordination between journalists and government. In this direction it pointed out that “finally the policy attempts to thwart misinformation, fake news and develop a mechanism that will raise alarm against any attempt to use media to vitiate public peace, sovereignty and integrity of the country”.
With the approval of the media policy, government will be in a better position to carry the message of welfare, development and progress to the people in an effective manner, besides enabling the Department of Information & Public Relations J&K to keep pace with the demands of the media and reposition itself as a professional organization, official spokesman told media in a statement.
But any new policy about media will succeed in Jammu and Kashmir by creating mutual trust which is lacking in the present circumstances. In the recent past many working journalists and some local editors were summoned by police and even FIR’s were lodged against them for creating atmosphere of suspicion and mistress. Kashmir press club the umbrella organization of all the journalists and editors has said that government should create mechanism were the official version is easily available so that no story goes without official version.
They have claimed that despite repeated requests and calls to senior officers in police and civil administration they get no response. In such circumstances rather than making new polices, UT administration should start creating an atmosphere of trust with media fraternity in Jammu and Kashmir.
