(image-X/SeherMirzaK)
Jammu & Kashmir: In the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of multiple security personnel, the Kashmir Valley is grappling with a growing wave of misinformation and media manipulation, much of it stemming from self-styled content creators operating without journalistic credentials.
According to local observers from the Valley, a rising number of social media influencers, YouTubers, and self-proclaimed ‘reporters’ have descended in Srinagar and surrounding areas in recent days. These individuals, often without accreditation or accountability, have been seen filming ordinary citizens under the guise of “reporting.”
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Armed with nothing more than phones and microphones, they record and provoke ordinary citizens, often baiting them into reactions with leading or inflammatory questions.
The resulting footage is then selectively edited and uploaded to platforms like YouTube and Instagram, framed in a way that promotes a narrative of Kashmiris as hostile or extremist. The goal, according to critics, is not to inform but to incite – weaponising content to stoke communal tensions and harvest outrage clicks.
“This is not journalism. This is targeted manipulation,” wrote one Kashmiri social media user, who shared a series of screenshots of such content.
The Kashmir Police issued a public advisory on April 29 warning social media users against spreading “fake & doubtful information with intent to mislead the general public.”
“All users are advised to refrain from posting such content. Any violation will be dealt with as per the law,” the Kashmir police warned.
1/2 It has been observed that certain social media handles are sharing fake & doubtful information with intend to mislead the general public. @JmuKmrPolice @KashmirPolice @DIGCKRSGR @SrinagarPolice
— Cyber Police Kashmir (@Cyberpolicekmr) April 29, 2025
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Journalist Mohammad Zubair also raised alarm. “A lot of YouTubers have gone to Srinagar to provoke local Kashmiris. They then use selective clips of their interviews to set an anti-Kashmir narrative,” he said, highlighting how such practices distort reality and deepen divisions at an already sensitive time.
Another journalist, Nayeema Mehjoor, warned citizens to refrain from talking to “hate channels” who seek to “get likes and TRPs and earn our pain.” Appealing the locals to remain calm and patient, she said, “They have only one agenda: to spread hate between communities that still have some bonding left. Your NO to violence demonstrated your faith and resilience. Stay calm and patient, and never let hate overwhelm you.”
Kashmir!
Please do not talk to those hate channels that put words in your mouth to get likes and TRPs and earn our pain. They have only one agenda: to spread hate between communities that still have some bonding left. Your NO to violence demonstrated your faith and resilience.…— Nayeema Mehjoor (@nayeema1) April 29, 2025
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Since the terror attack, a massive influx of misinformation with false narratives aimed at creating division between communities in the country has taken over social media platforms. Reports of several incidents of targeted attacks against Muslims, especially Kashmiris, have cropped up from various parts of India, described as “retaliatory attacks”.
The Pahalgam terror attack killed at least 26 people, mostly tourists, on April 22. The central government has since taken retaliatory diplomatic measures, including cancellation of all visas for Pakistani nationals, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, and closure of the Attari border. In response, Pakistan has warned to suspend bilateral agreements, including the Simla Accord, which could lead to a potentially serious escalation.
