Srinagar, March 20 -- The Chief Minister emphasized that selective advertising must come to an end, asserting that publications overly dependent on government revenue cannot serve as true voices of journalism. He warned that such newspapers risk turning into mere government mouthpieces. "A newspaper that only carries press notes and my photograph on the front page is not a newspaper; it's a mouthpiece," he said.

"Newspapers that rely solely on government ads cannot function as independent media. While we will support media houses, we must discourage mushrooming of newspapers that exist only to publish government press releases."

Reaffirming his commitment to press freedom, Abdullah assured that no punitive action would be taken against ...