The ban on media reflects a state of confusion in the government and deterioration of democratic functions in Jammu & Kashmir. The state government expressed ignorance about any ban on the local media after two days.
This signifies how unwarranted the effort was. Initial denial followed by delayed expression of regret about seizing printing equipment and stopping publication of newspapers in Kashmir has already done the damage in the state and international arena. Eruption of unrest in Kashmir after encounter of militant Burhan Wani was already making international headlines, the government then provided more fodder and opened another battle front by banning the local media.
The statement made by a senior official in the Jammu & Kashmir government suggesting ignorance of the chief minister about curb on the media in the Valley caught the government on the wrong foot and exposed the state of dysfunctional administration. Unfortunately, this is not the first instance. Such hysterical behaviour by different governments in the past proves that leaders are fond of repeating misdeeds. It is yet to be understood by leaders in power that the extent of freedom of expression and independence of media shows the maturity of the democracy of the land.
The role and responsibility of the news media becomes critical when reporting on conflict zones. The news media is considered as a credible and primary source of information and communication for the masses, despite the explosion of information and images from multiple sources, including the social media. If reliable news outlets are blacked-out, rumours can flow as facts. And the government’s action and denial did the rest.
The rise of the self-proclaimed “national media”, particularly TV news channels, contributes to the problem when they try to capture the mind with hyper-nationalism as an antidote. The way TV news channels conduct their discussions and present ‘facts’ seem to provoke the conflict and are divisive in nature. They hardly present multiple perspectives based on real facts. They increase alienation by playing games based on identities like India vs Kashmir through sophisticated tone and textures in their national narratives in the name of interest of our nation.
We are living in the age of inconsistency and contradictions where the state government stopped local newspapers from publishing in the name of law and order situation and at another extreme some national channels broadcast torrent of nonsense to further deepen the distrust. Perhaps, this is the time news media should frame guidelines on how to report and discuss issues about areas in conflict and implement it immediately in the newsroom to stop future miscarriage of information.
National TV news and newspapers hardly cover states like Jammu & Kashmir except during a crisis. A study by CMS Media Lab of news origin trends for last three years shows that reports from Delhi gets nearly or more than half of the coverage, while states like Jammu & Kashmir gets less than 3% of the total coverage in prime time and front page of newspapers, primarily related to militant or terrorist attacks and less on developmental issues concerning common citizens. There is no doubt that the news media outside Kashmir has hardly done justice to local issues and problems in the true sense. The quality of reporting, particularly on some TV channels, fail to follow fundamental elements of journalism in the disguise of nationalism.
Where is the balance?
Broadcasting neutral perspectives seem to be absent even on leading TV news channels in Hindi and English. The channels are usually filled with polarising panelists, functions like a circus and hopes to solve the crisis by being a ringmaster. The language used by TV editors in their programmes on Kashmir crisis seems unprofessional and biased. The tone and tenor of their programmes sound like they have the licence to label people with terms like “opportunist”, “Burhan premi gang” and “designer patrakar”. The problem lies with anchors in believing and behaving like a judge and ordering a panelist to “surrender your passport and go to Pakistan” and sermonising the nation on “why we must celebrate the killing of Burhan Wani...”
Too much hype is counterproductive and that is why IAS officers like Shah Faesal feel threatened when projected as a hero or a role model and Burhan Wani as a monster or devil by national TV news channels. The greatest challenge lies in exploring grey aspects of stories with finer details while reporting emotions of wounded people in a crisis. Searching for the devil in a crisis is easy, but being responsible and reporting without any bias is challenging.
(The writer is chief of CMS Media Lab, New Delhi)
Published 23 July 2016, 17:53 IST