Guest Editorial
Nava Thakuria
Assam based television journalists, who otherwise pretend to be fast, powerful and dominating, had recently understood the influence of internet (alternate media). It surfaced when a newly launched privately owned Assamese news channel bowed down to the massive outrage and condemnation in social media against a report telecast by it few weeks back. Finally the editor of the satellite news channel ‘Protidin Time’ had to beg unconditional apology for the mistake.
The development started with a package news story of ProtidinTime, where it allegedly insulted the young ladies, who wore shorts and skirts to face the hot & humid summer season of far-eastern India.
The girls were shown without blurring their faces and definitely without their consent in their routine activities on the streets.
The news story was made enriched with sensual Bollywood movie songs.
The reporter as well as the narrator, both are male, indicted that in the name of fashion, many Guwahati girls now-a-days prefer to bare their bodies making the busy streets sensuous.Shockingly, the television report tiled ‘Scantily-clad girls, a summer-time nuisance!’ compared those fashion-clad young ladies with some ‘dressed’ monkeys, saying that the monkeys have also realized the importance of proper clothes, but not by those young women.
For some days, it was quite normal, as if nobody was worried abut the television news item. However, a facebook debate started slowly but steadily relating to the news report. A group of angry facebook users later launched a campaign against the news channel and they had urged the Union government to take necessary actions against it.
Addressing the Indian information & broadcasting ministry, the group of young viewers alleged that most of the news channels based in Assam’s capital now started behaving like self-styled guardians of Assamese culture and they have made it a habit to violate various ethical norms for their foolish interest.
“The journalism is not about journalists giving their opinions about other people, but it is about journalists stating facts and making the people aware of things in the society. However, since the past eight to ten years we have been noticing a trend in the Assamese media where self-claimed journalists go out and objectify women,” pointed out by a facebook post.
Bipasa Kashyap, a gender rights activist went ruder saying that the women of Guwahati are in danger as there surfaced several incidents involving girls being dragged out of bars and then attacked.
“The reason they gave for their actions was they were loose women…these self claimed journalists, supported by their concerned editors do not even spare little girls of taking shots that are unimaginably indecent,” added Ms Kashyap, whose message was endorsed by thousands of net-goers.
The debate and anger against the news channels soon overcome the alternate media space to pouring in public spaces. A number of protest demonstrations were organized by the internet savvy youths of Guwahati against the unethical journalism practice adopted by various news channels. At least an official complaint was lodged in a Guwahati based police station by the demonstrators.
North East Network (NEN), a Guwahati based woman-centric organization, came out with a statement condemning the news channel for telecasting the news item which, according to it, tends to promote moral policing in the name of local culture.
“We oppose any kind of news/views which degrades women’s status in the society and also demean their mobility, visibility and sexuality. The way this news item portrays women’s bodies amounts to voyeurism and stalking (354c and 354d) and is punishable under the Indian Penal Code,” said Anurita P Hazarika of NEN.
She asserted that the journalists do not have the authority to disgrace women by commenting on their dress code, clothing choices, appearances, lifestyle, private choices & rights. Moral policing is against women’s empowerment and equality between men and women in the society, she added.
“Any responsible news channel is expected to mould public opinion on lessons of gender equality, social justice and peace, and not further disintegrate the society by promoting moral policing in the name of culture,” concluded the NEN statement.
Facing the heat of protests, the editor of ProtidinTime posted an apology in the facebook. The channel editor Nitumoni Saikia initially claimed that it was an unnecessary controversy created by a section of people in the social media over a news telecast two months back.
He also argued that the said news report was prepared on the basis of widespread discussions relating to such indecent dress codes adopted by some girls in the city. However, the ProtidinTime editor affirmed that the news channel had no intention to hurt anyone’s sentiment. “If the broadcast of the news item has hurt someone, ProtidinTime apologizes to everyone concerned,” he stated. Taking responsibility of the news item, the channel editor added that the particular news item was withdrawn from its website and the concerned reporter was already warned against repeating such mistakes in future.
It however needs no mention that most of the regional news channels in the country do similar mistakes time to time. So do the other northeast India based major news channels including NewsLive, DY365, PragNews, AssamTalks, NewsTimeAssam etc. The ProtidinTime incident, hence, was taken seriously by the media fraternity of the alienated region.
Lately, the Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has urged all the news channels to follow the relevant guidelines while presenting news or other items. The EMFA in association with Guwahati Press Club also launched a series of orientation programmes inclusive of gender-rights training for the benefit of local television scribes in enhancing their capacity and wisdom.
