In an era dominated by instant sharing and digital virality, the role of the media has become both more powerful and more dangerous than ever before. Once regarded as the fourth pillar of democracy, journalism today stands at a fragile crossroads. The noble mission of informing the public with verified facts and balanced reporting is being dangerously overshadowed by a growing obsession with views, shares, and comments.

This crisis is particularly visible in regions like Kashmir, where emotions run deep, truth carries weight, and each story can shape public perception. Unfortunately, what we see increasingly today is a wave of self-styled, camera-bound media persons, with little or no journalistic training, capturing and posting one-sided, unverified videos not to inform, but to provoke, sensationalize, and feed the algorithms of social media.
Armed with a mobile phone and social media accounts, these individuals report without context, without cross-checking facts, and without any effort to present all sides of a story. Their content is crafted not for public understanding but for digital applause. The goal is simple: get more likes, go viral, and grow a page. The result? A flood of half-truths that confuse the common people, tarnish reputations, and erode trust in real journalism.
Let it be stated without hesitation: not everyone holding a camera is a journalist. Journalism is not about who gets the first clip online. It is about responsibility, balance, and verification. It is about taking the time to investigate, question, and understand not just record. And most importantly, it is about presenting information in a way that enlightens the public, not misleads them.
This growing culture of reaction driven, shallow reporting is quietly but surely damaging our society. It not only discredits hardworking, trained journalists who strive for accuracy and fairness, but it also deeply affects our uninformative youth who are increasingly drawn to content that is emotional, dramatic, and rarely questioned. When people start trusting loud videos over verified facts on social networking sites, we begin to lose the fabric of informed citizenship.
What’s more tragic is that these viral, one dimensional reports leave no room for thoughtful dialogue or creative storytelling. Our news should not just be reactive; it should be creative, investigative, and forward-looking. Journalism should strive to explore the "why" and "how," not just the "what." Unfortunately, creativity and substance are now often sacrificed in favor of attention-grabbing headlines and shaky, uncontextual videos.
If this trend continues unchecked, we are heading towards a reality where misinformation will wear the mask of news, and emotion will overpower evidence. A society fed on unverified content becomes vulnerable easily divided, misled, and manipulated.

So where do we go from here?
Media institutions must rise to the occasion. They must invest in fact-checking, editorial accountability, and draw a bold line between journalism and digital performance. Regulatory bodies must take steps to protect the identity of professional journalism, ensuring that it is not hijacked by opportunistic content creators who lack credibility or ethics.
And most importantly, we the people must become smarter consumers of news. We must stop glorifying everything that trends. Before sharing or believing a video, we must ask: Is it verified? Has it heard both sides? Is it adding light or just heat to the issue?
Let us not forget: Truth is not always loud. It doesn't need to go viral to be valuable. It is quiet, often complex, and always worth protecting. Falsehood, no matter how fast it spreads, will eventually collapse under the weight of reality.
To preserve our democratic values, we must call for a return to thoughtful, creative, and ethically driven journalism a media that informs, educates, and elevates rather than divides and deceives. Journalism must not be reduced to clicks and chaos. It must reclaim its rightful place as the voice of reason, reflection, and responsibility.
Only then can we restore faith in the media, and only then can society move forward on the foundation of truth.

Email:-----------------------mudasir1178@gmail.com