Saleem Yousuf
Srinagar, 01-Apr: Non-professional journalists have been earning a bad name to Kashmir journalism every now and then.
The mushroom growth of facebook journalists, who are good at the noise, end up creating a people-friendly image for themselves at the cost of maligning image of professionals. From a simple protest at the Press Colony to any law and order issue, these Facebook journalists (as they are called in local lingo) are always omnipresent.
Even they can be seen in the press conferences, which are sometimes reserved. Unabashed and uncouth, most FB journos are semi-literate small-time go-between who try to earn quick bucks using journalism as a stepping stone.
With the advent of technology and social media, journalism in valley has become a cottage industry.
Instead of a degree or proper training, a newbie relied on a smartphone and a data pack can storm any press conferences, interview who-is-who, report from no-go areas, and brush shoulders with high and mighty. The belligerent Facebook reporting for Likes, Comments and Shares has been earning a bad name to Kashmir journalism for some time now.
Meanwhile, General public has urged Government to take Strict Steps to Curb unprofessional Journalism across Valley so as to save and preserve the important institution of democracy. They further demanded that there should be at least some qualification & experience criteria for a person willing to become a journalist.
“Mess has been created across Kashmir Valley by these self styled journalists, it has become tough and impossible situation for a Common man to differentiate between educated journalist and illiterate Facebook Journalist, there is totally no control on the Misuse of Journalism in Kashmir valley which is a dangerous threat to fourth pillar of democracy.
This menace has widened the gap, with people losing trust on the professional media houses’’, one of the senior journalist said.
(CNS)
