Media Helping Media

It's being reported that the Kashmir Observer has been hacked as the country continues to witness growing unrest. A notice on the site's front page reads: "Your favourite KO online which has been upholding the true standards of journalism in Kashmir for over a decade has been under relentless attack by vested interests who are fearful of its fearless and objective coverage of events. Many desperate attempts to hack the website were made in past weeks to keep KO off the screens. Such attempts still continue. We seek cooperation of our valued readers in these trying times." A journalist in Kashmir sent this reports.

The Kashmir Observer , one of the most visited websites carrying news about Kashmir, has been hacked several times this week, forcing the website to suspend operations for hours.

The attacks which came after a sudden rise in traffic to the site following the mass uprising in Indian administered Kashmir.

The website, an affiliate of the English language daily Kashmir Observer, is credited for upholding high standards of journalism in conflict-ridden Kashmir. It has been online since 1999.

It remains the main sources of news for the large Kashmiri Diaspora and those interested in the Kashmir conflict worldwide.

In past, the site has also been under attack from what editors at the newspaper call "vested interests fearful of the paper's fearless and objective coverage of events".

Following the government crackdown on pro-independence parties this week the media in Kashmir has not been spared.

None of the dozen odd newspapers have been able to publish for the last four days as severe restrictions were placed on movement of media staff.

The Kashmir Observer was making an attempt to offer a local perspective on the news and, it is at such times, as in the past, that hacking attacks increase.

Note: Report submitted by a journalist working in Kashmir.