Amid media protests, govt says open to views

Srinagar: Breaking the silence against the new media policy 2020 of the government, journalists in Srinagar held protests on the streets recently, asking for its rollback. The UT administration has officially remained silent on the issue even after the protest on Monday by Kashmir-based journalists and local editors who described the current policy as crippling journalism in Kashmir.

On the condition of anonymity, a senior functionary of the UT administration told this reporter that they were ready to listen to the suggestions and even go for amendments to the new media policy drafted by them recently, if the media fraternity can convince them for the same.

“We are open to suggestions. We are awaiting a united response from the media fraternity in Jammu and Kashmir to this new policy; as far as I know, they have yet to sit and give their official response to our new media policy,” he said. He further said that recently some Kashmir-based editors met advisor to L-G Farooq Ahmad Khan, in-charge of media and apprised him about their apprehensions regarding the new media policy. According to an official press release of the UT administration, advisor Khan assured local editors of all help in these days of crises.

Recently, dozens of media people working for different organisations and local newspapers came on the streets near the press enclave of Srinagar carrying banners like “don’t gag media” and “down with media policy 2020”.

Rashid Rahi, a local editor who is also president of J&K editors’ association, told the media near the protest site that under the new policy, government is editor, printer, and publisher of newspapers here. He said that there was no need for the government to come up with a new media policy in UT of Jammu and Kashmir. Two other protesting local editors said that the government was free to register FIRs and cut down their advertisement support if they felt that any news item or article was not in accordance with their new media policy.