J&K: District magistrate asks police to crack down on ‘fake media groups’ in Ramban

Drawing “urgent attention” of Ramban Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Mohita Sharma Garg towards such news channels, Islam said in a letter that these unregistered portal-based news organisations operating through various social media platforms, especially Facebook, “are seen spreading propaganda, fake news and also indulging in blackmail of government functionaries in the district”.

“On most of the occasions, they are seen interfering in the smooth running of administrative affairs and planting anti-government stories which are largely aimed at maligning the image of the administration and always portraying them in bad light,” the letter read. “A large number of district and sectoral officers have complained of harassment at their hands and stated that many self-proclaimed media persons, without carrying any authentic identification, barge into their offices and start recording videos and posting them in various social media groups,” it added.

Pointing out that the unchecked proliferation of such “news channels” could lead to law and order situations with the potential to disturb the peaceful fabric of the district, Mussarat Islam also advised the district police chief “to verify the antecedents and source of funding of all so called journalists who operate these illegal portals without any qualification and authorisation from the competent authority”.

He also asked the SSP to share with his office the list of all such “media organisations” and “journalists” so that necessary action can be taken.

Islam said that he wrote the letter as he had been receiving complaints from government officials and also private individuals about these people trespassing into their offices and premises to shoot videos on smart phone. Pointing out that whosoever has a smartphone has become a journalist in the district, he said that these portals have to be registered with a regulatory body under the Cable Act and the administration has the authority to proceed against unregistered ones.

President of the Working Journalist Association, Ramban, Mohammad Taskeen Wani welcomed the decision of the district administration and said it was a long-pending demand of the association to curb the activities of such elements who are bringing a bad name to the profession. Wani said that they had written to the Jammu Kashmir Department of Information and Public Relations and the police but to no avail.