Srinagar, July 19 -- But Bashir, very much alive though ailing, had to respond himself. In a video posted online, he looked visibly shaken by what passes for news today.

This wasn't a one-off. Social media in Kashmir is now a bustling, unchecked news arena. Individuals with smartphones and mikes roam the streets, breaking "news" without fact-checking or verification.

These self-styled reporters are often the first to post updates: some accurate, many exaggerated, and some entirely false. It's a system with no filters, no training, and no accountability.

The incident with Bashir only underlines the seriousness of the problem.

What's more worrying is the contrast. While unregulated content creators continue to operate without oversight,...