Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent address to the Legislative Assembly, spotlighting reforms in the print media sector, deserves applause. His emphasis on fair distribution of government advertisements, tackling fake news, and curbing the trend of newspapers serving as mere mouthpieces for official press releases signals a progressive intent. It’s a rare moment when a leader acknowledges the media’s critical role in democracy and dares to address its systemic flaws. For this, the Hon’ble CM stands commended—a breath of fresh air in a landscape often choked by political platitudes.
Yet, beneath this promising rhetoric lies a troubling omission that exposes the rot within the very system he seeks to reform: the Information and Public Relations Department (DIPR). While the CM spoke of financial independence for media houses, he sidestepped the plight of fresh newspapers—gritty, independent publications that have survived over nine years without a dime of government advertisement support. These outlets, through sheer resilience, have carved a niche in Jammu and Kashmir’s journalism, only to be ignored by the DIPR’s empanelment process. If the CM’s vision is genuine, why does this glaring injustice persist under his watch?
The DIPR, since its inception, has been a political puppet—second only to the Rural Development Department in its susceptibility to influence. Far from being a neutral conduit of information, it has long functioned as a factory of manufactured narratives, polishing reality to present a “goody-goody” façade to the public. Advertisements, a lifeline for print media, are doled out not on merit but on allegiance—cronies rewarded, dissenters starved. The department’s discretionary largesse has turned journalism into a game of favoritism, where budgets are bypassed, and non-budgeted ads flow like water to loyal players, while independent voices languish.
If CM Abdullah truly wants an influence-free media, he must start where the rot festers: the DIPR itself. Words alone won’t suffice—action must follow. The first step? A comprehensive audit of the department’s advertisement distribution practices. Let the books be opened, the beneficiaries named, and the criteria scrutinized. How are non-budgeted ads being splashed around like confetti? Who decides which papers thrive and which wither? The answers, we suspect, will reveal a cozy nexus of power and privilege that mocks the CM’s reformist zeal.
The independent newspapers of J&K—those unsung heroes sustaining themselves without government handouts—deserve more than lip service. Their exclusion from empanelment isn’t oversight; it’s systemic bias. To ignore them while preaching fairness is to perpetuate the DIPR’s legacy of control. The CM has lit a spark of hope, but it will fizzle unless he confronts the department’s deep-seated politicking head-on. An audit isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a necessity to dismantle the machinery that has long distorted truth for the sake of power.
Omar Abdullah has the chance to rewrite the script. He must seize it, not with speeches, but with a broom to sweep clean the DIPR’s Augean stables. Only then can Jammu and Kashmir’s media breathe free—and its people see the unvarnished reality they deserve.
