Dear readers of Ukhrul Times,
There has been considerable concern about how our news reportage on the Manipur crisis is being perceived, particularly by the warring communities and those hiding behind anonymous social media accounts. It is evident that there are radical elements on both sides harboring deep-seated animosity towards each other.
A recent example is the viral propaganda spread by a vested group claiming an alleged NSCN revenge attack on KNA-B on June 18. This false information circulated widely on WhatsApp and social media, creating significant confusion even among news outlets. As suspected, the sensational news turned out to be fake, and Ukhrul Times successfully debunked it. However, our efforts to expose such falsehoods have also been met with hostility from certain quarters.
We have received numerous requests to cease reporting on the Manipur crisis, as it exacerbates disharmony. The request is reasonable. However, if you have been following Ukhrul Times English News daily, you know that our primary focus is on Manipur. Reporting on the ongoing unrest is, and will remain, inevitable. Shutting down this aspect of our coverage would deprive our readers of critical information about real issues that must be reported.
True to our mission to serve the public, our newsroom has not shied away from our journalistic duties and obligations, especially when “unfair means” were employed in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, even in our home district of Ukhrul. This commitment to integrity is something other news outlets in their respective districts may not uphold, making our stance rare during these challenging times of news reporting.
We want to make it absolutely clear that the editorial team of Ukhrul Times, regardless of its size, has always and will always stand by democratic principles and press freedom to serve the people. The Editors Guild of India’s fact-finding report, whether one agrees with it or not, identified Ukhrul Times as a neutral news outlet in Manipur. This acknowledgment not only boosted our morale to continue our work without any funding from any entity—government or non-government—but also provided us with the motivation to keep serving the public. We remain steadfast in our commitment to journalistic ethics and principles.
With this in mind, we will now begin to monitor Ukhrul Times Facebook handle to ensure that the decorum of the page is respected. All hate-mongering, hate speech, and stereotypical comments against any community that violate human dignity, decency and freedom will be blocked and deleted.
This is to ensure that the Ukhrul Times ever growing community of readers can enjoy our news content without distraction.
Sincerely,
The Editorial Team
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