The Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) has decided to move a proposal before the Government for constituting a State Media Advisory Committee (SMAC) to look into the operational issues faced by the journalists while performing their professional duties in J&K.The decision was taken after the issue regarding day-to-day operational hassles faced by journalists in J&K was raised by media-persons during their meetings with the Press Council of India team.The PCI team headed by Mr S N Sinha, during their meetings with the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti and Minister for Information, Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali suggested, as an immediate measure, constitution of the State Media Advisory Committee which will take care of the issues faced by the media-persons while discharging their professional duties.The State Media Advisory Committee will meet on quarterly basis or as and when necessitated to dwell on the issues confronting the media.As suggested by the Minister for Information, the Advisory Committee shall have the representatives of various media organizations in the State including those from the editors' and working journalists' bodies as members. It will have also official and non-official members to be nominated by the Government.
As on date the details of the media associations which have been brought into the notice of DIRP and can be considered for representation in the proposed Advisory Committee include Kashmir Editors Guild, J&K Joint Forum of Newspaper Editors, J&K Small and Medium Newspapers Association, All Jammu Newspaper Editors Association, Jammu Editors Association, Jammu Newspaper Editors Guild, Press Club Jammu, J&K Press Correspondents Club, Kashmir Working Journalists Association, Working Journalists Association Kashmir, Kashmir Journalists Corps, Kashmir Young Journalists Association, Kashmir Video-Journalists Association, Kashmir Photojournalists Association, Indian Working Journalists Association (J&K Chapter) and News Agencies Association J&K.Accordingly, all these Associations should mail the list of their office-bearers and members with contact details to the Directorate of Information & Public Relations for updation and maintenance of records. The details can be mailed on [email protected] addition if there is any other media association in the State, which has been left out, they can send their details to DIPR [email protected] so that these can be included for being given representation in the proposed Advisory Committee.The DIPR has also sought suggestions from the media-persons on how to make the State Media Advisory Committee an effective body to deal with the issues confronting the media.