The Editors Guild of India issued a statement urging the Kashmir police to withdraw its advisory forbidding journalists from reporting live on encounters with militants. The police said the journalists might "incite violence" or promote "anti-national sentiment", while the guild called their advisory "draconian and undemocratic".
Editors Guild of India demands withdrawal of Kashmir Police’s advisory forbidding journalists from reporting live encounters with militants on the specious plea that it is “likely to incite violence” or that it can promote “anti-national sentiment”. pic.twitter.com/ZOvb7i6rdO
— Editors Guild of India (@IndEditorsGuild) April 17, 2021
Earlier this month, the Wire had reported that the police said they would "take legal action 'based on facts' against media professionals who come close to gunbattle sites or near scenes of 'law and order' situations".
In its statement, the guild said the police was "giving an impression of trying to maintain peace by attempting to control the fallout of violence in a high strung environment" but what it was actually doing was an "attempt...to escape from any kind of media scrutiny".
The guild suggested "guidelines" for reporting from encounters between security forces and militants but said that the Kashmir police's advisory "flies in the face of the stellar role journalists have played in reporting conflict in the country".
Also Read: ‘Intimidation is in the air’: How the Indian state is suffocating Kashmir’s journalists
Also Read: ‘Sarkari bulletin’: How the Indian state has used fear and ad money to hollow out Kashmir’s press
Newslaundry is a reader-supported, ad-free, independent news outlet based out of New Delhi. Support their journalism, here.
