Well Done, Information Department

After years of unchecked chaos on social media, Kashmir's information department has finally drawn a line. The era of phone-camera “reporters” may soon face long-overdue scrutiny.

- Kaisar Mir

In Srinagar, it’s now common to find someone standing in the middle of a crowd, phone in hand, talking breathlessly into the camera.

“Full story coming soon,” they say, as people gather around, some curious, others amused. A video is uploaded within minutes. Shares and comments pour in.

By evening, that “breaking” clip is everywhere, sometimes with facts bent, names twisted, and stories reshaped to fit a dramatic frame.

This has become the new identity of news in Kashmir’s digital bazaar. Almost anyone with a smartphone can be a “reporter.” A protest outside a government office, a family dispute, or a scuffle on the street becomes content.

What began as a way to show life on the ground has now become raging and reckless pursuit.

The intention was once noble. In the absence of mainstream access and representation, young Kashmiris turned their cameras toward daily life, giving visibility to people often unseen. But the platforms rewarded something else.

Algorithms favoured outrage over accuracy, emotion over evidence. Soon, the most viral stories were the noisiest.

Over time, social media news in Kashmir began to look less like journalism and more like performance. The lens followed anger. A camera pointed at an official's desk or a roadside argument became a tool of intimidation rather than inquiry. A few voices started using the word “journalism” as a license to coerce or shame, collecting views and sometimes favours.