Advisor to the J-K Guv asks media to follow professional ethics

Advisor to the Jammu-Kashmir Governor, K Vijay Kumar on Wednesday urged the media to follow ethics while reporting sensitive issues.

"I will not go into the exact message as what you should be doing. We have got our professional ethics, we will follow it. You got your ethics, you follow it and if you know what is in the national interest, what is the interest of vested media, you do what is necessary to be done. If they have done something which is incorrect, it is for you to take the course correction. You are all a powerful body," he said while talking to reporters here.

His comments came in response to a question posed on senior police officer Imtiyaz Hussain's criticism of a media report on Bhijbhera stone-pelting incident in which a truck driver was killed.

On Tuesday, while sharing the link of a media report about the Bhijbhera stone-pelting incident, Hussain, had in a series of tweets said, "Truth is the ultimate causality in journalism driven by agenda. Wish we had reporters on ground reporting truth. Absolving murderers is no journalism."

The Police Officer criticised the report saying that the "reporter presumes on behalf of rioters that truck would be carrying security forces, thus killed the truck driver. What a shameful justification of murder by learned journalist! Shame needs to die of shame. RIP Journalism," he said.

The officer emphasised on the importance to portray a "truthful picture" of Kashmir situation.

Continuing, Kumar told reporters here that educational institutions in the state will resume classes in a phased manner.

"We are gradually opening up the schools. In Jammu, the situation is different. In the Valley, we are calibrating and according to the situation, we are opening up educational institutions. Middle schools etc will be opened and afterwards senior classes. Following this, we will think of Universities. So, it will be done in a phased manner," he said.

Commenting on the Supreme Court order allowing Sitamran Yechury to visit Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "Whatever orders are there which need to obeyed, which need to be complied, we will be at it."

As for the restriction on communication channels, Kumar said, "It will ultimately be lifted but as when and how exactly, I will not speculate now. We will be making day to day calculations on what is happening and we will take a call."

( With inputs from ANI )