Reporting Kashmir from Delhi

Some of the finest scribes of Kashmir are shifting bases, choosing to report from the national capital as professional sustainability becomes hard at home.

- Nahida Mushtaq

For years, Kashmir remained a hub and heartland of remarkable reporters who documented its complex socio-political landscape. However, in recent times, a noticeable trend has emerged.

Driven by growing disillusionment with the state of journalism, scores of educated, professionally-trained journalists are increasingly leaving the region to report from outside. They're now watching Kashmir, as Agha Shahid would've said it, from New Delhi, and beyond.

This exodus is not merely a personal choice but a symptom of a deeper malaise. It's an ethical crisis that has engulfed Kashmiri journalism marred by sensationalism, bias, and exploitation.

Kashmir has historically produced credible and upright journalists. Despite the omnipresent risks of working in a strife space, they've sought to uphold the principles of truth, objectivity, and public service.

Many of these shifted scribes were educated in prestigious institutions, both within India and abroad, where they were trained in the ethics of reporting, the importance of verification, and the responsibility of wielding the power of the pen. They exemplified the potential of educated journalism by winning international accolades for courageous reporting. Their work was grounded in a commitment to factual accuracy and a refusal to succumb to the pressures of propaganda, whether from state or non-state actors.

However, the landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years. And the decline of ethical journalism can be attributed to several interconnected factors.