Where the media hurts! Media manifestations of gender based violence
My article published in the newsletter of the Women's Studies Research Centre - October, 2013.
Media – A reflection of society?
The
heinous and brutal Delhi gang rape incident (December 16, 2012) which shook the
nation’s conscience also brought to limelight the media’s role in covering and
reporting events of national and social significance. Media’s reportage of the
event brought scores of people on the streets of Delhi to protest against the
crime. 24 X 7 TV news channels, newspapers, magazines and other mass mediums
were filled with outrage and sympathy at the same time. The media covered every
event related to protests by citizens, condition of the rape victim and the
endless discussions that ensued on the need to change laws and policies related
to women’s safety in the country. There is no doubt that the media’s role with
regard to gender based violence is prominent in a country like ours – where
gender discrimination and instances of rape, abuse, mental and physical agony,
honor killings, female foeticide are increasingly being reported. The press,
television and cinema have always been considered to be a reflection of the
happenings in society. To what extent is this true? While the media does pick
up trends and patterns from the society, it also influences social attitudes
and behaviours with its portrayal, content, images, orientation and stance
towards certain issues. In the context of the Delhi gang rape, intelligentsia
and academic circles in the country began debates about the impact of media
content on young minds and the media’s ability to perpetuate, encourage and
even legitimize gender based violence. This is however not concurrent since the
way media looks at gender issues has been a matter of concern for a long time
now.
Popular
culture as dominated by the mass media was never gender sensitive. It is only
when certain events (like the Delhi gang rape, Bijal rape case in Ahmedabad, and
instances of honor killings in different parts of the country) spark off, that
the media turns its attention to cases of gender based violence and
discrimination. Media dynamics have completely changed the way we look at
gender based violence. So while earlier issues of gender based violence were
considered to be a part of the ‘private’ domain, they are now in the media
glare and out for consumption in the public space. A kind of voyeurism has overtaken
media sensibilities in reporting cases of gender based violence. The objective
therefore is not to heighten awareness of social malpractices but to use
images, graphics and content for feeding audiences with ‘something that is
popular and saleable’.
The
media’s orientation to issues of gender is extremely event-oriented, limited to
sensationalizing issues and images to grab eyeballs, increase TRP ratings and
enhance circulation. The problem also lies with the media’s understanding of
gender based violence and its ramifications on society as a whole. So while
instances of physical violence are highlighted, cases of mental abuse, child
abuse, women’s rights, marginalization of sexual minorities are abysmally
neglected. This kind of limited world view does not aid the cause of fighting
and rooting out gender based violence from our society.
Manifold Roles
The
media plays diverse roles – it not only conveys or portrays instances of gender
based violence, it also perpetrates such violence and legitimizes the same by
using its power to influence the masses. So while, portraying women in meek,
submissive and homely roles in popular daily soaps may not be explicitly
violent, it does convey a thing or two about how the media wants society to
view women and their roles. Item numbers in Bollywood movies, glamorous leading
ladies with no brains of their own to boast off can be simply termed as
‘entertainment’ and the ‘demand of audiences’, however, it subtly reinforces a
stereotypical image of the Indian woman, distorting it to no extent. Consider
popular music videos, youth based shows, reality shows that reinforce sexist
attitudes towards women by commodifying them (Basu, 2013). Such flawed portrayals demean women as also
contribute to the increasing possibilities of violence against them. Consumers
of such media content – both men and women tend to take these portrayals
seriously eventually impacting the way they treat their wives, sisters and
other females in their lives. The claim that such portrayals do not actually
impact attitudes towards women is based on a false premise. The impact may not
be visible immediately but it certainly creates sustainable images, distortions
and stereotypes.
Media producers and other stake-holders in the media
industry often shirk their responsibilities when they claim that it is on
audience demands that they dish out such content. This amounts to negating the
socially significant role of the media as a change agent in building and
shaping popular perceptions. It is the profit economy on which the media
thrives that compels it to the ‘herd mentality’ of producing and presenting
content that guarantees success. It is the media’s inability to take risks and
offer meaningful content that is at the root of the problem. It is not just
about women’s portrayal though! The way sexual minorities are depicted in so
called blockbuster movies is an offence to the sensibilities of the viewer.
They are either mocked at or are characters of self-pity. The media also never
bother to address that gender based violence is not something that happens only
with women, it can happen with men too. The entire problem of gender based
violence is thus homogenized and regimented by media discourse since according
to the media, gender based violence is a women-centric problem. The frames and
the agendas that the media employs while reporting on such issues tend to be
too restrictive and mainstreamish. The
media are then successful in creating a pseudo-culture that encourages,
legitimizes and sees gender based violence as completely natural.
The
Onus
It is true that as an agency with lot of power, the
media cannot shy away from its responsibility to communicate issues of gender
based violence in the country. However, such an onus is intricately interwoven
with issues of media content, media ethics, media regulation and
self-censorship. What is alongside important is the need to impart
gender-sensitive training to media professionals. So while a news campaign like
‘Save the Girl Child’ does help, it
should not be seen as an end in itself. The media would do well to initially
accept its responsibility as an entity that can affect the manner in which
issues of gender based violence are looked at. A determined focus on
strengthening media at the community level would be a great take off from the
view-point of enhancing progressive media coverage towards issues of gender and
violence. A holistic outlook would help the media in taking concrete steps to
justify its role as a power to reckon with – especially in curtailing gender
based violence and shaping a healthier debate about issues such as gender
divisions, gender roles, gender inequalities and gender discrimination – all of
which manifest violence in varying proportions.
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