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Newspaper vendors in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) are facing an existential crisis, with plummeting sales and a complete absence of institutional support pushing them to the verge of collapse.
According to reports, before the COVID-19 pandemic, newspaper reading was a daily ritual in many households across PoJK. However, the pandemic brought a sudden halt to this practice. With lockdowns and movement restrictions, newspaper circulation suffered a dramatic decline. Even after restrictions were lifted, the readership never fully recovered, and digital media further eroded the market. "Before the coronavirus, selling newspapers was a sustainable job. We used to sell around a thousand copies a day. Now, we barely sell a few hundred. Thousands of vendors have left the profession, only a few dozen of us remain," said Safaid Abbasi, President of the Press Sell Association in PoJK. Despite their contribution to promoting public awareness and supporting movements, newspaper vendors say they have been sidelined and ignored. Many had played a critical role in distributing material and information during political rallies and protests. Yet, the same system that once relied on their services now turns a blind eye to their plight. "In my 31 years in this profession, neither the government nor the newspaper publishers have provided a single penny of support. Journalists have made some efforts to raise our issues, but we, the ones called the backbone of rallies and processions, have never been given our due recognition or assistance." Abbasi lamented. The decline of newspaper vendors is not just an economic concern; it reflects a deeper erosion of traditional information networks in the region. With no intervention from authorities or media houses, many fear that this vital link between the press and the public may soon vanish altogether. As the digital shift accelerates, the absence of policies to protect traditional media workers leaves hundreds at risk of unemployment, with little hope of recovery. (ANI)
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