A JOURNAL OF THE PRESS INSTITUTE OF INDIA ISSN 0042-5303 January-March 2017 REPORTING NEWS Volume 9 Issue 1 Rs 50 We need sensitivity, CONTENTS • Varied colours of corruption, and few answers / Sakuntala Narasimhan not sensationalism • Chipping away at privacy, autonomy / Sakuntala What about the morality of the so called ‘guardians’ of society? Narasimhan How can they decide who can indulge in what, when and • Can we graciously agree to where? Why are only a few subject to moral ‘standards’, even disagree? / Shreejay Sinha if the ‘standards’ can be accepted, ever? And can journalists • Two sides of the ‘India’s afford to be judgmental or unethical? Unless we deal with these daughters’ coin / Gita V. Pai issues, the depravity and bias in some news media outlets • Reflecting the changing and specifically the televised form, will probably remain, if not face of the Indian woman / worsen, says Pushpa Achanta, while trying to relate to such Ranjita Biswas • The gendered view from fundamental questions behind the lens / Kirthi Jayakumar oyeurism. Gossip. While the latter can be harmless at times, the former • Can we have less never is. Actually, voyeurism represents a baser attribute of human violence and more respect nature. And that, or its outcome, seemingly attracts many readers or please? / B. Radha and V P. Govindaraju viewers and titillates the senses or provides vicarious pleasure. One cannot ignore this, considering the market for B-grade or adult-rated (A) films and • Role of the media in a pornographic material featuring children. Unfortunately, such items are easily democracy revisited / available for sale through outlets (selling pirated books, censored videos or Santosh Kumar Biswal ‘blue’ films) and the Internet. Of course, piracy must not be confused with • Can media literacy be an resources available for free or declared Copyleft, Open-source or that which alternative to censorship? / can be used under the Creative Commons licence. Madhusmita Boruah However, the sorry and shocking reality is that the dissemination of news, • Of the Vietnam War, turmoil, especially by television channels, seems to have become a source of sensual and Richard Nixon / Partab enjoyment and distorted interpretation of morality. This is evident from how Ramchand two television channels (TV5 and ABN Andhra Jyoti) defamed the students • Journalist’s murder turns the of the NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad in March-April 2013. Also, a focus on illegal timber trade correspondent with the channel, News Live, apparently incited a mob to molest / Nava Thakuria a teenage girl in public, in Guwahati, in July 2012, to enable him to broadcast • Can we look at a second the episode. coming of new-wave Incidentally, the News Broadcasting Standards Authority (NBSA) of India, cinema? / Bharat Dogra ordered TV9, another regional news channel, to pay a fine and telecast an • Of fiction, film, Bob Dylan apology for invading the privacy of homosexual men in Hyderabad. Under and Marie Curie / Shoma the guise of investigative reporting, the news channel broadcast a programme A. Chatterji titled, Gay Culture Rampant in Hyderabad, in February 2011. The videos • Voicing Indian opinion, of the men were shot undercover. While NBSA responded in a quick and fighting for a liberal press / commendable manner to protests and complaints lodged with it, such cases are C.V. Narasimha Reddi • Remembering M. Balamuralikrishna / (Continued on page 3) Om Puri January-March 2017 VIDURA 1 FROM THE EDITOR Dear Reader, The past ten weeks or so of information and most a certain article, it doesn’t have been eventful – the of it available at a mere necessarily mean that we passing away of former touch (smartphones, IPads, agree completely with what Tamil Nadu Chief Minister what have you), that it is being said. As an editor, I J. Jayalalithaa, Cyclone Var- often becomes difficult for believe in giving writers the dah, Donald Trump taking the reader or viewer to sift freedom to express what they office and creating a stir, the the truth into a bowl as it want and as long as an article kind of which hasn’t been were, or to sift relevant data is in context, relates to the quite seen in recent times, from the rest. Everywhere, readership and has sufficient unprecedented protests in people are looking for substance and flavour, it is Chennai and elsewhere credible information and accepted for publication. against jallikattu (a spectacle that ‘something extra’ to help Other than subjects sport that is all about stopping them make up their mind and concerning the media, we a raging bull) ban, the heat form an opinion. The reader provide space for issues and dust in the run-up to does not want sensationalism. relating to women and the elections in Punjab, Goa, Honest investigative report- children, portrayal of women Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh ing is welcome, but hard to in films, gender parity, and Manipur (in that order) come by. The other thing is, mental illness, education, the and, as I write this, V.K. in today’s world of Facebook environment… the canvas Sasikala quietly and quickly and Twitter, the ordinary is fairly wide. We also offer emerging from the shadows citizen seems to want to space for films – films that are of Jayalalithaa and getting be the first with the news, different, that strike a chord – ready to take charge as Tamil tweeting, posting a status or for sport, and for nostalgia (of Nadu’s next chief minister, WhatsApping friends – it’s people and places). Reviews creating yet another situation all about showing others that of books that we find useful unprecedented in recent you are clued in and, more are published. And, last but times. The media, especially importantly, that you can not the least, not just obit electronic media, has been peddle credible information pieces, but also remembrances in the forefront, covering all (not malicious gossip) on the of people – a singer, an these events with expected go. Remember the old adage, actor, a writer, a journalist, a relish. On television, each knowledge is power? sportsman, virtually anyone of the occurrences has been As always, we have an – who have died after making played out 24/7, exhausting interesting bouquet of articles. a mark and touching our lives even seasoned viewers. As a rule, we stay clear of in some way or the other. Mainstream newspapers politics, although in this issue Here’s wishing all of you a and the leading online news you may find a smattering of it Very Happy New Year! sites have tried to provide in a couple of articles. And as perspective and comment always, the views expressed while covering the news. by writers in Vidura are their Sashi Nair But there is such a deluge own. Because we publish [email protected] 2 VIDURA January-March 2017 (Continued from page 1) exceptions. Sadly, TV9 presented a false picture of the transgender community (captured through a sting operation) in Karnataka through a Kannada programme named Operation Anandi aired in September and October 2016. However, no complaint could be lodged with the NBSA nor could the body take any action against the channel / organisation as it had ceased to be a member of the NBSA. Nevertheless, this adversely impacted the personal and social lives of many transpersons in Karnataka with their families, home owners and employers ostracising them. According to Vinay Sreenivasa of Photo: PA the Alternative Law Forum (a non- Transgender activist Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli speaking on Gender in profit organisation in Bangalore Media at Network of Women in Media's meet in Hyderabad. Others in the that litigates and does research on picture are (l-r): Ammu Joseph, Laxmi Murthy and Kalpana Sharma. human rights, civil liberties and social justice issues), the Press Even reports of rape, sexual persons continue in movies and Council of India has recognised the abuse, harassment, assault, violence television programmes despite right to privacy of even an accused towards girls, women and gender appeals, protests and criticism. person. Utilising a spy camera or sexual minorities (LGBTIQAP+ Unfortunately, distribution of such violates the right to privacy, the persons) often show survivors or insensitive visuals via social media code of ethics and broadcasting victims as weak and ashamed of cannot be controlled easily. standards, and does not necessary being assaulted, through videos, Donna Fernandes, co-founder and enlighten the public at all times. pictures and graphics. Further, seasoned activist with Vimochana, Speaking at a public discussion videos of the crimes captured live a reputed forum in Bangalore for on Gender in Media: Continuities and available to the news media women’s rights remarked, “TV and Discontinuities, organised by are replayed multiple times while news channels and newspapers the Network of Women in Media photographs are reprinted widely highlight the misogynistic remarks in Hyderabad recently, Vyjayanti which are all unnecessary. This of politicians and ministers which Vasanta Mogli, transgender happened in the reportage of a few harm the interest of girls and women activist and founder Telangana of the incidents of sexual assault and strengthen the patriarchal Hijra Intersex Transgender Samiti that occurred in Bangalore, Bhagpat mindset.” Asking why the media observed, “The news media has in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Pune and continues to seek sexist people for published some positive stories Mumbai between 31st December their views gender violence, a writer on transpersons. However, it 2016 and as this article