Stop Faking Journalism

A casual compliment in Kashmir turned into an endorsement of “journalism without degrees.” Media schools, are you watching?

- Syed Mohammad Burhan

The line between journalism and performance in Kashmir is blurring in ways that would make any media professor shake their head.

The latest example came again from social media, where one content creator rushed to laud another, a Facebooker celebrated online as a sort of public savior, and anointed him a journalist.

His reasoning reeks of ignorance: The man had “stood out” in covering the recent rotten meat scandal, his voice booming in viral videos.

What this bromance conveniently skipped over was the fact that the first reports, investigations, and followups came from trained reporters working in regulated newsrooms.

These journalists have degrees, editors, and a professional code. They did not need to shout into a phone camera to prove they were doing their jobs. They verified facts, consulted experts, and published their work. Then they moved to the followup, and the next story.

Social media in Kashmir, as in much of the world, has made it easy for anyone with a mic and a smartphone to call themselves a journalist.

The performance is often compelling with urgent voice and raw visuals, but the work is rarely subject to the checks and balances that define the profession.