SRINAGAR: In a region long marred by conflict, journalists in Kashmir play a vital yet dangerous role, navigating political sensitivities, state surveillance, censorship, and threats. But today, many news desks lie empty, shutters drawn down, and the once-throbbing voice of local journalism has been muted by fear, surveillance, and the shrinking space for free expression.
For young journalism students passing out of universities, this means there are no platforms to work, as they find themselves squeezed between government control, vanishing opportunities, and a chaotic boom of ‘Facebook journalism’.
The conversations with young journalists joining the field revealed a consistent pattern of an industry in crisis, where independent voices are being discouraged and space for professional journalism is disappearing.
Passion Turns to Disappointment
Kounsar’s journey into journalism began when she started pursuing her degree in 2017, which she finished in 2020. Her choice of the field wasn't driven by extensive prior knowledge but by genuine interest. "I chose it because I already had an interest in it,” she explained.
The 2016 Burhan Wani uprising proved to be a pivotal moment that deepened her commitment and drew her interest. "When protests would happen, I would watch journalists covering them - whether they were print journalists, photojournalists, or video journalists. Sometimes I would interact with them, so I became more interested," she said.
For many like her, whose interest crystallized during the 2016 Burhan Wani uprising, a watershed moment that drew them toward journalism, the timing of their entry into the profession was equally significant. Many of them hadn't yet started professional work during the 2019 abrogation of Article 370. Their careers began just after that pivotal moment when the landscape had already fundamentally changed.
“The first few months after the abrogation, when I started interning with a local newspaper, were still a learning experience,” she said, adding that “there were professional mentors from whom I learnt a lot.”
But then things started going downhill. She points out to the Media Policy 2020, which she avers, heightened the intimidation and curbs on the journalists and the local news outlets. For young journalists like her, the only choice was to freelance and work on stories of a cautious nature.
‘Facebook’ Journalism Killing professionalism
“But not many foreign or Indian news outlets are interested in Kashmir,” she added. This has encouraged a trend of Facebook journalism that has completely killed professionalism. Everyone who has a smartphone, or is a social media influencer has become a journalist and they say anything without authenticating facts, Kounsar said.
She sighed, “this is also eroding trust in journalism and those who are trying to do some professional work.” Kounsar is now convinced that she will not be able to pursue journalism seriously if she continues to live and work in Kashmir.
Arsalan Ashiq, another young journalist who started working in 2020 was equally perturbed by the new phenomenon that has emerged to fill the void created by traditional journalism.
Arsalan’s motivation for choosing journalism was rooted in a comprehensive vision of the profession. "I selected journalism because I felt that in this field, a person gets experience of everything. Because you have to cover stories from every angle, you have to go into every field. So I felt that this changes a person overall, and you get knowledge of everything. And I also had passion, so that's why I took a degree in journalism."
But by the time he started, the ground was shifting beneath them. "What we witnessed was shocking…... the journalistic values, all of that had been trampled on the ground."
"We saw that mobile journalists have now arrived. Now what they call them - Facebook journalists," he said, referring to untrained individuals operating primarily through social media platforms rather than traditional media institutions.
The journalist noted that during press conferences—one of the standard rituals of news gathering—they would encounter these "Facebook journalists with their cringe content," suggesting that even official information-gathering spaces have been overtaken by this new model of media practice.
Describing the systematic dismantling of professional journalism and the erosion of career opportunities for an entire generation, Arsalan reveals that most of his batch-mates who opted for journalism degree were so disappointed that they moved on to other professions. “20 out of 30 students completely changed their fields,” he told.
Some have started different businesses, some are unemployed at home, some have found work in other sectors entirely.
The presence of "Facebook journalists" doesn't just create competition; it actively delegitimizes formally trained journalists. When anyone with a mobile phone and a Facebook page can claim the title of journalist, professional credentials lose their value.
The psychological toll is evident in how Arsalan frames it, "…..a person is forced to think…. I studied, I did so much training, and after that I have neither any respect nor a status."
The crisis extends beyond professional disappointment to existential economic anxiety. "There's also pressure from family. There's also pressure to earn from here. So, I think that now we who are doing Masters or who are studying journalism at this time, all of this is running in our minds - just complete the degree somehow, there's nothing above it."
His words capture a profound sense of limitation. Completion of the degree is not a stepping stone to something better but an end in itself, a credential that exists in a vacuum. Yet, despite the dismaying situation, he hangs on to hope.
“Maybe, with time, everything will be okay,” he said.
Witnessing Systemic Dismantling
Malik Zahoor, a multi-media journalist with eight to nine years of experience in Kashmir, offers a perspective from someone who witnessed journalism's better days and has lived through its systematic dismantling.
He traces how a profession that once commanded respect and served as a bridge between people and administration has been transformed into something that is hostile to those who practice it with integrity.
Zahoor's early experience in journalism was marked by a sense of purpose and institutional respect. "It felt very good in the beginning when we came into this field. We used to get a lot of respect, that we would convey people's issues to the administration.”
Journalists conveyed people's issues to the administration, serving as intermediaries and advocates, he said, adding that there was institutional recognition of this function, and journalists enjoyed a "position of respect" for performing it. The work felt meaningful, and the professional identity was secure.
"But gradually what happened was that after August 5, 2019, the abrogation of Article 370, the narrative changed. It's important to mention that ethics and codes - which have no value nowadays - what is taught... As I said, I was a diploma holder, then I was so influenced that I went for post-graduation in journalism," he revealed.
But those ethics and codes, he noted, "have no value nowadays." The principles that drew him deeper into journalism have been rendered irrelevant in the current environment.
"I saw such a situation that the position of respect, which was in the sky, got buried in the ground. Because the administration started running narratives and started favouring those journalists who were ready to do that. Whereas in journalism, it's taught that it's a prophetic job - whatever you've seen, whatever you've heard, you report that."
Social Media as Mechanism of Control
Zahoor spoke about a specific mechanism of control. "And especially if we talk about nowadays, social media handlers have gotten so involved in this journalism; they have nothing to do with journalism. No degree or qualification."
"Social media handlers"—individuals without journalistic training or credentials who manage social media for various interests—have infiltrated the profession. Their presence represents a dilution of professional standards and an additional layer of control over information flow,” he elaborated.
He opined that the self-censorship this creates is profound. Journalists understand the risks of honest reporting and begin to police themselves before external forces even need to intervene.
Zahoor is direct about how government-aligned media outlets have abandoned journalism's core mission: "But if we talk about godi media (government-aligned media), they have changed the very definition of journalism. Sitting in newsrooms having tea sessions and dividing in the name of religion and dividing in the name of caste. The issues that are about humanity, the serious issues that they don't talk about."
Instead of addressing issues of poverty, unemployment, and other matters of human concern, these outlets focus on divisive narratives centered on religion and caste. "For example, talk about poverty, talk about unemployment... There's nothing like that."
Journalists who attempt to raise issues on behalf of people face immediate suppression. The protective function that once defined their role including advocating for citizens, raising uncomfortable issues, has become impossible, he said.
Criminalising Journalism
He reminds of legal mechanisms that are used against journalists: "There are many such journalists against whom cases have been made, which are being made. This instills fear and many people from the journalistic community, my colleagues, have left this profession altogether."
Several journalists have been arrested in the last few years and some continue to be in jails, though most others are now out on bail. Aasif Sultan, was arrested in August 2018 under anti-terror law, UAPA, and later detained under the PSA. Despite the bail granted, he continues to be detained.
Fahad Shah, editor of the Independent digital outlet ‘The Kashmir Walla’ was arrested in February 2022 and bailed out after over a year. His outlet was also blocked by the government. Sajad Gul, trainee‑reporter with 'The Kashmir Walla', was arrested in January 2022 under PSA after posting a video of a protest. Irfan Mehraj, a journalist and human rights worker in Kashmir, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in March 2023 under terror‐funding allegations and is presently detained in Tihar jail.
Cases filed against journalists, whether already pursued or threatened, have systematically destroyed the profession's standing and driven people out entirely. Zahoor reveals how many of his colleagues have adopted other professions, running medical agencies and even hotels.
He describes the profession as having gone through a slow death in the region. “There’s no place left for honest reporting. Either you play safe or you stay silent.”
For over a decade, he chased stories in the most difficult terrains, interviewing families of the disappeared, documenting crackdowns, and reporting in Kashmir during encounters. But now he hasn’t made a single video for the last many months.
“I left journalism not because I wanted to, but because the space doesn’t exist anymore.”
Zahoor ends mid-thought: "I never thought I’d end up like this…. So in such a situation..." The inability to complete the sentence speaks for the surreal situation that has become so constrained, so dangerous, so fundamentally hostile to journalism that even describing it fully becomes difficult.
Shrinking Spaces for Journalism
Talking to the Kashmir Times on conditions of anonymity, several journalism professors at major universities, revealed that the lack of job opportunities for journalists and the lack of respect for the profession has led to low enrollment, even high drop-out rate. On average, only 25 to 30 students complete their journalism degree each year, they say.
They say there are several reasons behind this low enrollment. One of the primary factors is the limited professional scope and opportunities for journalists in Kashmir, which discourages students from choosing this field. Additionally, the high cost of higher education, including tuition and related expenses, makes it difficult for many students to afford journalism programs.
As a result, the growth of professional journalism in Kashmir is facing significant challenges, both in terms of accessibility and long-term career sustainability.
A senior journalist associated with the BBC for many years, Riyaz Masroor is calm and reflective, noting that “journalism in Kashmir has never been easy.” He is among the few journalists who have endured and adapted in Kashmir’s ever-evolving media environment.
He acknowledges the anxiety that has gripped young journalists. “It’s tragic. We have intelligent, passionate youth who want to tell stories, who want to explore truth, but they find themselves blocked at every turn.”
Masroor emphasizes the need for independent, fact-based journalism, especially in regions like Kashmir. “The absence of authentic storytelling leads to the rise of rumour, propaganda, and misinformation. And that’s dangerous — not just for Kashmir, but for democracy itself.”
Though, he admits that the spaces for the young journalism graduates are shrinking, he feels that to ensure employability, the educational institutions should broaden their focus beyond journalism. He said,” Our institutions should not limit students to journalism alone. It’s time we explore other creative and professional fields like advertising, filmmaking, digital media, and content creation. These areas offer immense opportunities and can help our students build diverse and successful careers in the evolving media landscape."
Have you liked the news article?