VOA慢速英语2020 媒体政策增加了克什米尔新闻界的困难

Media Policy Adds to Difficulty for Kashmiri Press

Critics are denouncing new media laws in Jammu and Kashmir State as measures to suppress government criticism. They also argue that the laws violate the country's constitution.

India announced the new policy last month. It empowers officials to accredit¹ the reporters and news organizations it considers acceptable. It also permits Indian officials to declare what is "false" news, and what are "incitements" against the government.

Kashmir and Jammu has been under tight controls for almost a year. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi seized powers from the state government following fighting between Kashmiris and security forces. Thousands of people have been arrested in that period, including members of the press. The government also has severely² restricted internet service in the area.

"Those 2G services are also shut down at least once or twice a week under the pretext³ of militant⁴ encounters or COVID-19," says Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a Kashmiri human rights and international law expert.

The new media policy targets Kashmir only. It gives the Department of Information and Public Relations the power to legally accuse media organizations and their employees of misinformation, fake news, plagiarism⁵ and anti-national activities.

Reporters and news groups accused of such wrongdoing can face a loss of accreditation⁶ and money from advertisers.

Srinagar-based reporter Gowhar Geelani told VOA the policy makes the DIPR, "the judge, jury and the executioner, " and leads to self-censorship.

Geelani and other reporters have been charged with "glorifying⁸ terrorism in the Kashmir Valley" and putting anti-national material on social media in recent months. They believe those charges will result in a denial of their accreditation.

VOA asked the Jammu and Kashmir state public relations director for comment on the new rules. The official did not answer the email.

The government says it enacted⁹ the measures to stop Pakistani attempts to damage peace and security in Jammu and Kashmir. India accuses Pakistan of aiding terrorism in the state. Pakistan denies the accusations¹⁰.

The new policy began in May. The DIPR says it will consider media protests about its decisions.

Several reporters said they were worried about the accreditation process, which includes investigations¹¹ by security forces.

News organizations need accreditation to be able to publish legally and to receive government advertising¹² contracts, a large part of their financial security.

The Indian government stopped advertisements to at least three large newspaper groups last year. Critics called the move likely "retaliation¹³" for critical reports about the government.

Shuja ul Haq is president of the Kashmir Press Club. He said that permitting government officials to judge media reports as acceptable or unacceptable violates the constitutional right of free expression.

Reporters in Kashmir already face COVID-19 and internet restrictions¹⁴, says Srinagar-based reporter Bilal Hussain.

"This new policy has made me to think tens of times before writing," he said.

I'm Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

2G - adj. the second generation of internet speed

pretext - n. an excuse for doing something

encounter - v. to meet a person or to find a situation

plagarism - n. to steal the writing of another person

censorship - n. government imposed restrictions on what can be written

glorify⁷ - v. to make something seem grand or important

retaliation - n. to act against someone in response to their first action

1 accredit   

vt.归功于，认为

参考例句：

• The president will accredit you as his assistant.董事长将任命你做他的助理。
• We accredit the invention of the electric light to Adison.我们把电灯的发明归功于爱迪生。

2 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

3 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

5 plagiarism   

n.剽窃，抄袭

参考例句：

• Teachers in America fight to control cheating and plagiarism.美国老师们努力对付欺骗和剽窃的问题。
• Now he's in real trouble.He's accused of plagiarism.现在他是真遇到麻烦了。他被指控剽窃。

6 accreditation   

n.委派，信赖，鉴定合格

参考例句：

• a letter of accreditation 一份合格证明书
• This paper gives an overview of the Verification, Validation and Accreditation (VV&A) in High Level Architecture(HLA). 对基于高层体系结构(High Level Architecture,简称HLA)的仿真系统的校核、验证与确认(Verification, Validation and Accreditation,简称VV&A)问题进行了详细的介绍及分析。 来自互联网

7 glorify   

vt.颂扬，赞美，使增光，美化

参考例句：

• Politicians have complained that the media glorify drugs.政治家们抱怨媒体美化毒品。
• We are all committed to serving the Lord and glorifying His name in the best way we know.我们全心全意敬奉上帝，竭尽所能颂扬他的美名。

8 glorifying   

赞美( glorify的现在分词 )； 颂扬； 美化； 使光荣

参考例句：

• I had no intention of either glorifying or belittling Christianity, merely the desire to understand it. 我并没有赞扬基督教或蔑视它的立意，我所想的只是了解它。
• You are glorifying a rather mediocre building. 你正在美化一栋普普通通的建筑。

9 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

10 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

11 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

12 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

13 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制