J&K To Frame New Media Policy In Four Months

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- The Jammu and Kashmir Government is working on a new media policy to regulate the mushrooming of social media journalists, the Legislative Assembly was informed on Wednesday.

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Responding to a question from National Conference MLA Bashir Ahmad Veeri, Information Minister Sakina Itoo said a House Committee constituted to examine the issue had given the Information Department four months to formulate new guidelines.

Itoo said the committee, headed by senior MLA and former minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, had met on July 13, 2026, to examine the matter.

Several members raised concerns over the growing number of social media journalists and called for clear guidelines and regulatory measures.

Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather said he had asked the government during the Budget Session to conduct a comprehensive study of media functioning and formulate guidelines for taking action against those violating the law.

NC MLA Nazir Ahmad Gurezi said the proliferation of social media had made it possible for anyone to pick up a phone and claim to be a journalist.

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“Then social media is being misused. There should be some regulation,” Gurezi said.

PDP MLA Waheed Para, however, cautioned against censorship, saying that demanding restrictions was not the appropriate response in the present era.

“We are living in the 21st century, and demanding censorship is not the right thing,” Para said.

Responding to the concerns, Itoo said the issue also involved the responsibility of legislators and political parties and that the entire blame could not be placed on media personnel.

“A half-hour discussion was held in the Budget Session, and the government gave its reply at that time. Without the media, whether print or electronic, we are incomplete; there is no two ways about it. But, Sir, there are certain shortcomings now; there is no doubt about that either,” she said.

The minister said the widespread use of mobile phones had also changed the way information and images from the Assembly were circulated.

“We keep our close associates around to photograph everything here so that the pictures can be published outside later. We cannot place the entire blame on media personnel alone,” she said.

Itoo also alleged that a social media page had been created under the name of a member's wife's maid and was being used to post abusive and derogatory content against ministers.

She said political parties and political actors were also responsible for the misuse of social media for mud-slinging and character assassination.

“Those who have turned into mobile and Facebook media stoop to slandering anyone's character whenever they wish, taking less than two minutes to demean someone's dignity. And in this, if anyone is most responsible, it is the political parties,” Itoo said.

Referring to the proliferation of Facebook-based media pages, the minister said there was a significant difference between the number of genuine, accredited media persons and self-styled social media pages.

She said some such pages were being used to target individuals and undermine their dignity, while acknowledging that genuine media personnel could also be at fault in certain cases.

Itoo also suggested that members and journalists should not be allowed to carry mobile phones inside the Assembly.

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She assured the House that the Information Department would introduce a comprehensive policy covering rules, regulations and scrutiny of social media journalism.

“Following that, if anyone is found guilty of malpractice, strict action must be taken against them,” she said.

The government is expected to finalise the proposed guidelines within the four-month period given to the Information Department by the House Committee.

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