Kashmir Editors Guild slams ‘media strangulation’

SRINAGAR — The Jammu and Kashmir government has stopped advertisements to two major dailies of the state, the Kashmir Editors Guild (KEG) said on Friday, seeking intervention of Press Council of India and Editors Guild of India to stop what it called attempts at “strangulating the media” and “slaying institutions.”

“The decision to stop government advertisements to Greater Kashmir and Kashmir Reader has neither been conveyed formally nor was any reason detailed to the respective organizations so far,” KEG said in a statement.

“KEG in a detailed meeting discussed the issue and decided to fight the deliberate strangulation and subversion of the institution of media in the state. At a time when the democracy is in suspension, the KEG is seeking attention of the Press Council of India and the Editors Guild of India to exercise their legal, ethical and professional mandate to intervene in the issue and ensure that the media in one of the most sensitive states is not strangulated. The Guild decided to move to the Council and would also involve the Editors Guild of India,” the statement said.

The Guild reiterated the fact that media in Kashmir is one of the most professional media and it has retained its neutrality even at the cost of lives. It will continue to do so. The professional capacities of Kashmir media have been acknowledged world over.

The Press Council of India has also issued a detailed report in 2018 detailing the issues and challenges that the Kashmir media is facing. It also addressed certain misconceptions about the media in the report.

The Guild said it wants to “reiterate that the attempts at strangulating the media are in continuation of what has happened in last more than three decades.” (GNS)