Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir government, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, has drafted a new media policy that marks a significant departure from the stringent, surveillance-heavy 2020 media framework introduced after the abrogation of Article 370.
According to a report by The Times of India, the draft Media Policy 2025 aims to expand digital engagement, enhance press freedom, and open the door for greater government advertisement space on verified online platforms.
The proposed policy, which is expected to be released for public feedback soon, formally recognises digital media platforms and social media channels for government advertisement empanelment — a move that shifts away from the earlier system that focused heavily on content vetting and narrative control.
Officials told TOI that the new draft is designed to modernize the government’s communication strategy, particularly targeting youth who primarily consume news via online platforms. A dedicated section of the draft, titled “Jammu and Kashmir Digital Media Advertisement Policy, 2025,” lays out specific eligibility norms for digital entities seeking government ads.
As per the draft, digital platforms must have operated for at least three years and maintain active, verified accounts on platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or YouTube. Applicants are also required to submit analytics data, proof of operations in J&K, and two years of income tax returns.
For private FM radio stations, the criteria include at least six months of commercial broadcasting with a minimum of 16 hours of daily programming. Community radio stations must demonstrate three months of consistent operation with at least two hours of daily broadcast.
Print media outlets will also have to meet revised circulation thresholds — a minimum of 3,000 copies for dailies and 5,000 for monthly publications.
Importantly, the new policy also opens opportunities for student engagement, allowing college and university students to contribute to official content creation through competitive selection in video production.
In a bid to broaden outreach and cultural engagement, the policy proposes financial and institutional support for traditional and performing arts, including folk music, puppetry, street plays, operas, and regional dance festivals — all to be used as mediums for promoting government schemes and spreading public service messages.
The draft policy asserts that the government is committed to safeguarding press autonomy as a “fundamental pillar of democratic governance.” It emphasizes the role of the media in promoting transparency, accountability, and civic engagement.
“By safeguarding the media’s autonomy, the government ensures the public’s access to accurate, timely, and reliable information, which is vital for robust civic participation and the preservation of democratic principles,” the policy states, as per TOI.
This marks a clear break from the 2020 media policy, which had drawn strong criticism from political parties, media groups, and rights organizations. That policy mandated background checks for editors, publishers, and reporters before empanelment and granted authorities sweeping powers to monitor content for “fake news,” “anti-national activities,” or “unethical journalism.”
The 2020 framework described Jammu and Kashmir as a region “having significant law and order and security considerations,” justifying tight media control to counter “proxy war” narratives. The new draft, however, takes a more open and development-oriented approach, while still aligning media engagement with responsible journalism.
While the draft is yet to be finalized, media stakeholders are hopeful that this policy could mark a turning point in restoring greater press freedom and digital parity in J&K.
