Emergence of Citizen Journalism in Conflict Area: A Case Study of Citizen Reporting in Indian Occupied Kashmir After August 2019

Abstract

This study assesses the potential of news reporting by citizen journalists through using social media platforms to gain global attention about violation of human rights in occupied Kashmir after conflict of 5 Aug 2019. The findings are measured from the news stories produced by citizen journalists about the incidents of killings, harassments, jail, and surveillance during the blockage of internet and media after 5 Aug 2019.  This research discusses the power of citizen journalism approach for reporting incidents of human rights by eyewitness and victims to create public sphere at global level for democratic participation. This research aims to access how citizens of occupied Kashmir had reported the incidents after Aug 2019.  This research will give better understanding of objectives and characteristics of citizen journalism with mainstream media and its role in reporting the victims’ story in occupied Kashmir where the mainstream media was uncontrolled during Aug 2019.  The quantitative method and in-depth interview method are used to broader the research by content analysis with systematic literature review. Communication theory with significance to public sphere by Habermas is the related theoretical framework for this study. The findings of the research suggest that citizen journalism has changed trends of journalism in disseminating objective news with the perceptive of local community. This research proposes the need of ethical training and formal platform for citizen journalists to produce authentic news. This study gives insight about citizen participation in democratic practice of journalism to raise voice of victims in Indian Occupied Kashmir.