Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has directed officials to take strict action against fake journalists operating in Jammu and Kashmir and ensure that only bona fide media professionals are recognized and engaged by government departments, officials said.
According to sources, the issue of “fake journalists” came up during a high-level review meeting chaired by the Lieutenant Governor in Srinagar on Sunday. The matter, which was also discussed in the recently concluded autumn session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, has raised serious concern within the administration.
“The LG made it clear that those misusing the name of journalism must face the law. He instructed all Deputy Commissioners and SSPs to identify such individuals and weed them out from the system,” a senior official said.
Sinha also directed officers to jointly prepare a verified database of accredited and active journalists in each district. Departments have been told to engage only those media personnel whose credentials are verified by the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR).
Further, the Lieutenant Governor ordered that individuals or groups running Facebook pages, online news portals, or social media handles under the guise of journalism must be registered and verified by the DIPR. He emphasized that digital media platforms must be held accountable for their content and operate strictly within the framework of media ethics and the law.
Officials said the move follows increasing complaints that certain individuals posing as journalists were misusing press identification cards or online platforms to intimidate officials and extract favours. The issue was also highlighted by several legislators during the recent Assembly session, who demanded a mechanism to curb the menace.
“The government respects and supports genuine journalists who report with honesty and professionalism,” another senior officer said. “However, those tarnishing the reputation of the media fraternity will face strict action.”
Earlier, the J&K Department of Information and Public Relations had directed all District Information Officers in Kashmir to intensify vigilance against fake journalists.
