Across Kashmir, as elsewhere, we are witnessing the rapid rise of self-styled “journalists” and social media reporters who command audiences running into lakhs and even millions. Armed with cameras and social media pages, many claim to be serving the public interest. Yet, increasingly, they are engaging in sensationalism, conducting media trials, and commenting on highly specialized subjects without the requisite knowledge or formal training in journalism. The consequences of this shift are not merely academic; they can destroy reputations, careers, and lives. 

THE DANGEROUS RISE OF DIGITAL VIGILANTISM Two recent incidents from Kashmir perfectly illustrate how social media has mutated from a tool of information into a weapon of mass character assassination; one targeting a medical professional, the other an educator. Though the contexts differ, the underlying malady is the same: arrogant ignorance armed with a smartphone. In the first case, a cardiologist at Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag, was subjected to public questioning and criticism by self-styled social media journalists and influencers. The doctor, a trained specialist performing advanced cardiac catheterization procedures, was publicly scrutinized by individuals who appeared to possess little or no understanding of the basics of cardiology, let alone the complexities of interventional cardiac procedures. Medicine, like law, engineering, or aviation, is a highly specialized profession. A cardiologist spends years in medical school, residency, and super-specialty training before independently performing advanced procedures. To publicly question such expertise without adequate knowledge is not investigative journalism; it is misinformation masquerading as accountability. In the second case, a lecturer from Sopore was accused of allegedly harassing a student. Before any official investigation could establish the facts, sections of social media had already pronounced him guilty. Videos, commentaries, and inflammatory posts spread like wildfire, exposing the individual to public humiliation and social ostracism. Subsequent police inquiries........

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