Opinion | The Era of Fake Journalism in Kashmir

There was a time, not too long ago, when the word journalist carried respect, purpose, and responsibility. When someone said “I’m from the media” people would listen. There was weight in those words. It wasn’t about fame, it wasn’t about being on camera  it was about truth. Those were the days when the mic meant something sacred, when journalism in Kashmir was not just a profession, but a calling.

But now, look around. Every other person has turned into a “journalist.” Every hand holds a mic, every phone has a logo sticker, every YouTube channel calls itself a “news network.” What was once a noble profession has become a street act, a social media trend, a race for views and attention. This is not progress this is decay. The tragedy is not that everyone has a voice. The tragedy is that the truth has lost its voice among the noise.

There used to be a time in Kashmir when only a few would dare to step into journalism. It wasn’t an easy job it required education, training and above all, moral strength. Journalists walked with their heads high because they were the bridge between the people and the truth. They verified, they questioned, they cross-checked. They were guided by ethics, not algorithms.

To become a journalist meant years of study. You had to understand media laws, ethics, sources and the difference between facts and opinions. You had to know what not to show as much as what to show. It was a job for the responsible, not for the reckless.

But today, it feels like all of that is fading away. Anyone with a phone camera and a loud voice claims to be a journalist. They roam around with fake IDs, copy-pasted logos, and a desperate urge to be “viral.” They speak not for the people, but for engagement. They don’t investigate stories, they invent them.
Social media has done wonders in many fields, but it has also done damage where discipline once ruled. In Kashmir, the rise of platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram has turned journalism into a free-for-all.
People go live from accident sites, from graveyards, from hospital wards, showing everything, even the pain of others for a few likes and comments. Where’s the humanity in that?

A tragedy occurs, and before the family even knows, a so-called journalist is already there  camera in hand, face close to the crying mother, asking questions no decent human would ask. “What happened?” “How do you feel?” “Who do you blame?”. They don’t care about the answers. They care about the footage. And then, within minutes, the video is online. No fact-checking, no respect. Just noise. Just views. The title? Exclusive! Shocking! Heartbreaking!. The truth? Buried somewhere between exaggeration and exploitation.
We’ve reached a point where truth isn’t the goal anymore but the performance is. These new “media people” act like actors not journalists. They shout into the mic, speak dramatically and use background music like they’re in a movie. It’s not news anymore, it’s theatre.
And sadly the audience has learned to enjoy the performance.

A journalist’s job is to inform, to educate, to question. But what we see now is the opposite, they misinform, manipulate, and mislead. They spread half-truths and rumors like wildfire not realizing the damage they cause to society, to individuals, and to the reputation of real journalism.
In professional journalism, every word you publish has consequences. Every report must be backed by proof, every claim must be verified. But in this fake media wave, there’s no accountability.
If they get it wrong, they delete it and move on.
If they hurt someone’s image, they laugh it off.
If they spread misinformation, they call it a “mistake.”
But who pays the price for those mistakes? It’s the innocent people who get defamed, the families who get dragged into controversies, the youth who lose trust in every voice that claims to be “truthful.”
Let’s face it, journalism is not for everyone. You need knowledge, ethics, and awareness of the world around you. But today, most of these self-proclaimed journalists don’t even know what objectivity means. They can’t differentiate between a report and a rant, between analysis and gossip. Some of them barely finished school. Others treat journalism like a shortcut to fame.
This fake journalism wave is doing real damage.
People no longer know who to believe. Every day brings a new “breaking news” video. Often based on lies or half-truths. Rumors spread faster than facts.
Communities turn against each other. Hate spreads, confusion grows. And the more confusion there is, the more these fake journalists benefit because confusion brings views.
They have turned pain into profit.
They have turned trust into a trend.
And they have turned journalism, the pillar of democracy, into a joke.
Yet, amidst all this noise there are still real journalists in Kashmir, men and women who wake up every day, pick up their pens and cameras and work quietly to tell real stories. They don’t chase clout. They don’t upload everything they see. They verify, they research, they respect.
They might not go viral, but they go deep. They might not get millions of views, but they earn respect the kind of respect that doesn’t fade with algorithms.
But the sad part is that they are being overshadowed. The world doesn’t see them anymore because fake journalism is louder, flashier, and faster. Real journalism takes time, patience, and courage, three things our current social media culture doesn’t value.
People often say, “Degree se kya hota hai?”
But the truth is, degree doesn’t just give you knowledge; it gives you discipline. It teaches you how to think, how to verify, how to respect privacy, how to communicate responsibly. A degree doesn’t make you perfect, but it gives you a foundation.
Without that foundation, journalism becomes dangerous. Because when uneducated minds handle sensitive issues, they don’t report; they react. They spread emotion instead of information. And that’s what’s destroying the credibility of Kashmiri media today.
It’s painful to see people making fun of what used to be an honorable career. Now, being called a “journalist” often comes with sarcasm  “Oh another YouTuber?” “Another fake reporter?” Real journalists suffer because the fake ones have spoiled the name. The mic that once represented truth now represents drama.
If we let this continue, journalism in Kashmir will collapse completely. No one will trust the news anymore. Truth will be just another opinion. And when people lose faith in the truth, society itself begins to crumble.

We need a movement, a collective voice, to bring dignity back to journalism. Let’s promote the real ones. Let’s recognize those who still work with integrity. Let’s make the truth fashionable again.
Because at the end of the day, no matter how many fake reporters rise, truth always survives. It may bend under pressure, it may hide behind noise, but it never dies.
Let’s bring back that era where journalism meant something. Where a journalist wasn’t a content creator, but a truth-seeker. Where being “media” didn’t mean trending; it meant serving.

“The mic is loud today, but the truth still speaks and only the honest can hear it.”- Murtaza

The author hailing from kupwara Kashmir, can be reached via gmail at peermurtaza277@gmail.com