Last updated: 6/20/2026
Kashmiriat is an independent media and archive platform dedicated to documenting the conflict, culture, history, memory, politics, and socio-political life of the historical State of Jammu Kashmir.
This editorial policy explains how we work, what we stand for, and the standards we expect from our editors, writers, contributors, photographers, researchers, and publishing partners.
1. Our Editorial Mission
Kashmiriat exists to provide a credible, independent, and Kashmiri-centered space for journalism, analysis, historical documentation, cultural preservation, and public debate.
Our mission is to document the lived experiences, political questions, cultural memory, and social realities of the people of Jammu Kashmir, including communities in the Kashmir Valley, Jammu, Ladakh, Azad Jammu Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, the diaspora, and other communities connected to the region through history, displacement, migration, or political struggle.
We aim to publish work that informs, preserves, questions, explains, and gives voice to people and stories often ignored, distorted, or silenced.
2. Our Editorial Values
Kashmiriat is guided by the following values:
- Accuracy
- Independence
- Public interest
- Human dignity
- Cultural preservation
- Historical memory
- Fairness
- Transparency
- Accountability
- Protection of vulnerable sources
- Responsible debate
We believe journalism should serve people, not power. We also believe that memory, culture, language, and history are essential to the survival and dignity of a people.
3. Our Editorial Position
Kashmiriat is rooted in the belief that the people of Jammu Kashmir have the right to dignity, justice, memory, identity, civil liberties, and political voice.
We are not neutral about human rights, cultural survival, freedom of expression, and the right of people to shape their own future. However, Kashmiriat remains editorially independent from all governments, political parties, armed groups, state institutions, pressure networks, donors, advertisers, and commercial interests.
Our work may include strong analysis and opinion, but our reporting must remain fact-based, sourced, and accountable.
4. Editorial Independence
Kashmiriat does not allow outside actors to control or influence its editorial decisions.
No government, political party, donor, advertiser, organization, or individual supporter may decide what Kashmiriat publishes, removes, edits, or investigates.
Editorial decisions are made by the editorial team based on public interest, relevance, evidence, safety, and journalistic value.
5. What We Cover
Kashmiriat focuses on the following areas:
Conflict and Rights
We cover the human, political, legal, and social consequences of conflict, including civil liberties, militarization, displacement, detentions, censorship, media freedom, communication restrictions, political movements, and the lives of affected communities.
Politics and Society
We examine governance, political structures, constitutional questions, public movements, youth politics, regional aspirations, elections, social inequalities, education, labor, gender, class, caste, and diaspora politics.
Culture and Memory
We document language, literature, poetry, food, music, architecture, oral histories, shrines, crafts, festivals, folk traditions, community memory, and shared cultural heritage.
History and Archive
We publish and explain historical documents, timelines, maps, treaties, resolutions, photographs, biographies, speeches, movement histories, and forgotten narratives related to Jammu Kashmir.
Opinion and Debate
We provide space for serious opinion, analysis, and debate from different Kashmiri perspectives. We welcome disagreement, but we do not publish hate speech, personal attacks, propaganda, or claims made without evidence.
6. Types of Content
Kashmiriat clearly distinguishes between different types of content.
News
News articles are based on verified facts, direct reporting, credible sources, documents, and relevant context.
Analysis
Analysis explains events, trends, policies, history, or political developments using evidence, context, and expert interpretation.
Opinion
Opinion articles represent the views of the writer. They must be clearly labelled as opinion and must not present unsupported claims as facts.
Editorial
Editorials represent the institutional position of Kashmiriat.
Explainer
Explainers help readers understand complex issues, events, documents, laws, historical developments, or political terms.
Archive
Archive posts preserve or explain historical material. Where necessary, Kashmiriat will provide context so readers understand the source, date, background, and relevance of the material.
Interview
Interviews may be edited for clarity, length, and readability, but the meaning of the speaker’s words must not be changed.
7. Accuracy and Verification
Accuracy is central to Kashmiriat’s work.
Before publication, writers and editors should verify:
- Names
- Dates
- Locations
- Quotes
- Historical references
- Legal claims
- Statistics
- Photographs
- Video material
- Documents
- Translations
- Claims about individuals or organizations
Serious factual claims should be supported by reliable sources. These may include direct interviews, official documents, court records, public statements, academic research, credible media reports, eyewitness accounts, archival documents, or verified data.
When information cannot be independently verified, Kashmiriat will say so clearly.
8. Sources and Attribution
Kashmiriat believes readers should know where information comes from.
We aim to attribute information clearly, especially when reporting sensitive or contested issues. Whenever possible, we link to original documents, official records, research papers, reports, statements, or previous reporting.
Anonymous sources may be used only when there is a strong public-interest reason and when revealing the source’s identity could expose them to harm, harassment, job loss, legal risk, or retaliation.
The editor must know the identity of any anonymous source before publication.
9. Right of Reply
When Kashmiriat publishes serious allegations against a person, institution, political party, public official, organization, or authority, we will make reasonable efforts to seek their response before publication.
If no response is received by publication time, the article may state:
Kashmiriat contacted [name/institution] for comment. No response was received by publication time.
If a response is received after publication and is relevant, Kashmiriat may update the article.
10. Conflict Reporting
Kashmiriat reports on a conflict region where words can carry serious consequences. Our language must therefore be careful, precise, and responsible.
In straight news reporting, Kashmiriat avoids using loaded labels as its own voice unless they are part of a quote, official statement, legal document, or clearly attributed claim.
Words such as “terrorist,” “traitor,” “agent,” “martyr,” “anti-national,” “enemy,” or similar politically charged terms should not be used as Kashmiriat’s own description in news reports.
Instead, we use precise descriptions such as:
- Civilian
- Protester
- Activist
- Student
- Political worker
- Detainee
- Prisoner
- Security personnel
- Police official
- Army personnel
- Armed group member
- Militant
- Refugee
- Displaced person
- Witness
- Survivor
Where a label is used by a government, group, court, family, party, or organization, it must be attributed clearly.
11. Human Dignity and Harm Reduction
Kashmiriat does not publish material that unnecessarily endangers people.
We take special care when reporting on minors, victims of sexual violence, detainees, families of missing persons, refugees, displaced communities, vulnerable sources, and people living under political or security pressure.
We avoid publishing:
- Private addresses
- Personal phone numbers
- Unblurred images of minors without consent
- Identifying details of victims of sexual violence
- Sensitive source information
- Real-time locations that may endanger people
- Graphic images without strong editorial justification
- Unverified accusations that may cause serious harm
Public interest must always be balanced with human safety.
12. Hate Speech and Discrimination
Kashmiriat does not publish hate speech or content that dehumanizes, threatens, or incites hostility against people based on religion, sect, ethnicity, caste, tribe, region, language, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality, political opinion, or social background.
We encourage serious debate, but disagreement must not become abuse, collective blame, or incitement.
13. Opinion and Debate Standards
Kashmiriat welcomes strong opinions and diverse political perspectives. However, opinion pieces must meet basic editorial standards.
Opinion writers may argue, criticize, question, and disagree. They may not fabricate facts, distort evidence, promote hatred, target private individuals without justification, or make serious allegations without proof.
Opinion articles must be clearly labelled. The views expressed in opinion articles belong to the writer and do not necessarily represent the institutional position of Kashmiriat.
14. Corrections and Updates
Kashmiriat is committed to correcting errors openly and promptly.
When a factual error is identified, we will review it and correct it as soon as possible. Significant corrections will include a correction note explaining what was changed.
Minor spelling, grammar, formatting, or typographical changes that do not affect meaning may be corrected without a formal note.
Readers can report errors by contacting:
15. Plagiarism
Kashmiriat does not tolerate plagiarism.
Writers must not copy another person’s work, reporting, images, research, translation, or ideas without proper credit. All submitted work must be original or properly attributed.
If plagiarism is discovered after publication, Kashmiriat may remove or correct the article, add an editor’s note, and stop accepting future submissions from the writer.
16. Images, Video, and Archival Material
Images, videos, maps, and archival documents must be used responsibly.
Where possible, Kashmiriat will credit photographers, creators, archives, institutions, or original sources. Images should not be manipulated in a way that misleads readers.
Archival material may be edited for readability, restoration, formatting, or translation, but the original meaning must not be changed.
Sensitive images, especially those involving death, injury, grief, children, or private individuals, must be handled with dignity and care.
17. Translations
Kashmiriat may publish translations from Kashmiri, Urdu, English, Gojri, Pahari, Dogri, Balti, Shina, Ladakhi, Punjabi, or other languages connected to the region.
Translations should preserve the meaning, tone, and context of the original. If a translation is approximate or interpretive, this should be made clear.
Where possible, the original title, language, date, and source should be mentioned.
18. Conflicts of Interest
Writers, editors, and contributors must disclose any conflict of interest related to the subject they are covering.
This may include:
- Political party affiliation
- Government employment
- NGO or donor relationship
- Family connection
- Financial interest
- Activist role
- Legal involvement
- Personal participation in the event being covered
A conflict of interest does not always prevent publication, but readers should not be misled about relevant relationships.
19. Funding and Advertising
Kashmiriat may accept donations, memberships, grants, advertising, sponsorships, or partnerships only if they do not compromise editorial independence.
Sponsored content, if published, must be clearly labelled. Advertisers and donors cannot influence editorial decisions.
Kashmiriat will aim to publish clear information about its ownership, funding model, and editorial independence.
20. Contributor Responsibility
Contributors are responsible for the accuracy and originality of their submissions.
By submitting work to Kashmiriat, contributors confirm that:
- The work is original or properly attributed.
- The facts are accurate to the best of their knowledge.
- Sources are identified or explained to the editor.
- The article does not contain plagiarism.
- The article does not intentionally mislead readers.
- Any conflict of interest has been disclosed.
Kashmiriat reserves the right to edit submissions for clarity, accuracy, length, structure, grammar, style, safety, and legal concerns.
21. Artificial Intelligence
Kashmiriat may use artificial intelligence tools for support tasks such as transcription, translation, research organization, headline suggestions, grammar review, or summarization.
AI must not replace editorial judgment, original reporting, verification, or human accountability.
Kashmiriat does not permit the publication of AI-generated fake quotes, fake interviews, fake documents, fabricated images, synthetic evidence, or misleading material.
If AI-generated images, audio, or video are used for illustration or creative purposes, they must be clearly labelled.
22. Legal and Safety Review
Some stories may require additional editorial, legal, or safety review before publication. This is especially important for stories involving:
- Serious allegations
- Security issues
- Court cases
- Detentions
- Minors
- Sexual violence
- Vulnerable sources
- Leaked documents
- Anonymous sources
- Graphic material
- Politically sensitive claims
Kashmiriat may delay or withhold publication if a story creates unnecessary risk or does not meet our editorial standards.
23. Reader Engagement
Kashmiriat values its readers and encourages responsible engagement.
Readers may send corrections, responses, documents, story ideas, photographs, archival material, and submissions. However, Kashmiriat does not guarantee publication of any submitted material.
Abusive, hateful, threatening, defamatory, or misleading submissions will not be accepted.
24. Accountability
Kashmiriat is accountable to its readers, contributors, sources, and the communities it covers.
We aim to be transparent about our mistakes, careful with our words, open to criticism, and committed to improving our editorial work over time.
This editorial policy may be updated as Kashmiriat grows. Major updates will be reflected on this page.
Contact
For corrections, submissions, editorial inquiries, or concerns about published material, contact: