Parvaiz Wani CNI

Between April 2022 and October 2024, the Jammu Kashmir Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) spent ₹70 crore on print advertisements, according to RTI replies filed by Mohammad Iqbal Wani and Bilal Ahmad Mir. Ad rates ranged from ₹75/cm² to ₹135/cm² depending on size and placement.

Five newspapers received 26% of the total spend: Rising Kashmir (₹7.73 crore), Aftab Daily (₹3.7 crore), Srinagar News (₹2.5 crore), Kashmir Images (₹2.26 crore), and Kashmir Monitor (₹2.1 crore). Some publications saw sharp declines, Greater Kashmir’s ad revenue dropped by 65%, while Brighter Kashmir’s ad space fell from 1.2 lakh cm² to just 34,000 cm².

Front page analysis during 18 key political events showed sustained government visibility, News Laundry reoport.

Rising Kashmir featured LG Manoj Sinha on 12 front pages, five as lead stories, and PM Modi on seven. Major coverage included the G20 summit (May 22, 2023), Article 370 anniversaries, and security updates.

Kashmir Images showed similar trends, with the LG on 16 of 18 front pages, five as leads. PM Modi featured on four, including a New Year message on January 1, 2024. The paper also covered opposition leaders during the 2024 assembly elections and highlighted PM Modi’s congratulatory message after the NC’s victory.

Kashmir Monitor (16 front pages reviewed) regularly featured statements by PM Modi, Amit Shah, and LG Sinha. On December 12, 2023, after the Supreme Court ruling on Article 370, its lead headline read: “INTEGRATED FULL AND FINAL.”

In March 2025, Jammu Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah pledged to end “pick-and-choose” ad distribution, saying newspapers that merely publish press notes and photos were becoming mouthpieces, not independent media.