Fake news portals tarnishing journalism’s image: PCJ’s founder member M K Bangroo demands crackdown on ‘Blackmail Media’

Former PTI Chief backs strong legal action; warns against misuse of Assembly access

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Voicing grave concern over the unchecked rise of unregistered and blackmailing digital platforms, a senior journalist from Jammu and Kashmir and founder member of Press Club of Jammu (PCJ) M K Bangroo on Saturday has called for immediate government intervention to safeguard the integrity of journalism and protect citizens from online extortion in the name of news.
In a strongly worded statement, Bangroo said that the proliferation of unverified “news” portals and self-styled digital reporters has reached alarming proportions.
“Many of these portals operate without registration, without accountability, and purely for personal gain and to blackmail businessmen, government officials and politicians. Their activities are eroding public trust and bringing disrepute to the noble profession of journalism,” Bangroo said.
Citing the recent STATE TIMES expose of an unregistered portal – The Daily Truth News – whose operator allegedly demanded Rs 20,000 to delete a video, the former PTI chief M K said such cases are a “symptom of a deeper rot” in the unregulated online media ecosystem.
He lauded STATE TIMES for its “fearless and responsible journalism” in exposing blackmailers masquerading as reporters, and urged law enforcement agencies to launch strict action against similar offenders across the Union Territory.
“A clear distinction must be drawn between genuine journalists devoted to public service and those exploiting media access for blackmail and intimidation,” Bangroo emphasized.
Echoing with the senior journalists’ voice against the working of the portal was exposed when snatcher cum blackmailer reporter Shubham, who claimed to be a journalist, demanded Rs 20,000 to delete a video posted on The Daily Truth News – an act that clearly amounts to blackmail and extortion, M.K. Bangroo, founder of the Press Club of Jammu and former PTI Chief, expressed serious concern over the erosion of media ethics and unchecked misuse of digital platforms.
This development has sent shockwaves through the journalistic community, particularly as one of the portal’s so-called “reporter”, Shubham, who was already booked by Channi Himmat Police in snatching case in the year 2023 under Section 382 IPC. The case is under judicial consideration in the court of law.
Bangroo further said, “The journalism we built was founded on truth, credibility, and accountability. These unregistered blackmail portals are a disgrace to the profession and a danger to society. The government must act firmly before this disease spreads further,” Bangroo said.
Bangroo also questioned how certain unregistered portals and self-proclaimed reporters managed to secure Assembly entry cards, terming it a “serious breach of professional norms and potential security risk.”
“Granting such access to unverified individuals not only undermines accredited media but also threatens institutional security,” he warned.
Moreover, it is very strange that within unregulated digital media operations, Onkar Singh, the Editor-in-Chief of this unregistered online portal, ‘The Daily Truth News’, has been found to possess an official Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly entry card – despite the portal having no registration or accreditation with the Department of Information and Public Relations.
He also welcomed the Lieutenant Governor’s firm stance against fake journalists, urging authorities to expedite a regulatory framework for online media. Bangroo maintained that only accredited journalists and registered organizations should be allowed official access to government or institutional events.
“We all accredited journalists stands united against the menace of blackmailing portals. We demand that FIRs be registered against those involved in extortion and that strict legal consequences follow. Journalism must remain a pillar of democracy – not a tool for intimidation,” Bangroo said, concluding with a collective appeal to restore dignity, transparency, and truth in media practice across Jammu and Kashmir.