Yesterday, I lost it. Another WTF moment. If it was just another 'third rate journalism' as a friend calls it, I would not have bothered so much. But this was the limit. The trouble is, if not curtailed now, I am not sure, what it would turn into, in the future.
News9 is a bangalore based English 'News' Channel and of course, it is a 24 hr channel. This channel does give a lot of local news which may be useful to the city residents. This channel often has programs which shows a highly biased moral stand. When possibly half the population has such a point of view, it is possible that a channel could thrive on that. After all, our soaps are not different.
But, what made me angry, was the latest bit of breaking news that the channel released yesterday.
News9 made a sting operation and found that a service apartment in Bengalooru was being used for prostituition by a Russian lady. The channel team member posing as a prospective customer discovered this fact. Had they stopped with that, I would have not bothered, thinking it was another sting operation. But what followed was a gross violation of human rights.
After confirming that she was indeed in the business of selling sex, the team returned with a camera. They broke open the apartment and started recording. Apparently she was with a customer. What followed reminded me of what happened on a New Year Eve in Mumbai and what happened in the Mangalore pub.
What gives these journalists the right, to violate the rights of a woman, even if she were a sex worker. She was wearing a two piece suit, when they broke open and the channel had the audacity to force her to reveal her body. She was trying to cover her breasts and her face with her hands. Two men pulled open her hands to reveal her body and face on camera. WTF!!!!!
Later, the police was called to take action and probably take her into custody.
By what stretch of imagination, can we accept this?
Even if I were the worst criminal in this world, and even if I was of the loosest character possible, you have no right to violate my body , without my consent. PERIOD.
There has always been a debate about this moral judgement even in the case of rape. In some countries, even the law mandates that a rape victim's sexual habits should not be questioned. Her sexual habit, should not come in the way, of delivering justice to her.
Its similar in this case as well. Does her, being a sex worker(that too alleged) deny her the right to human dignity? And who decides? News9??????????
To put it simply, the channel must be taken to task for having abused her physically and for having tortured her mentally. This is Violence instigated against a woman. Whether she is a sex worker or not is not a matter of consideration. This channel had obviously no right to do to her what they did. By the way, why am i talking about their rights?
They were doing things against the law. How else should I describe a man forcing a woman to reveal her body on camera? If this is not violation, what is?
Sorry, an apology will not do. The channel was violating the law and they should be answerable. Now, it would be great to see them report that! Would be a good dose of local news!
The sad part is, even a local news channel has a lot of influencing power. It they shout stupidities for an hour and show the same stuff, people watching it will be programed to think in that direction as well. It was a live phone in program, and many people calling in, were talking about how the Police is not taking action and how the Police is involved in such sex rackets.
Oh ya, blame the system.
But in that process, we are letting this mind poisoning devil into our living room. I really need some air!
UPDATE : Looks like violation happens even through bigger media houses. Tvmtalkies writes a post on the how Media wantes to legally violate a prostitute. He writes , "I was more outraged when “The Madras Union of Journalists condemned B.Lenin’s arrest and blocked traffic in Marina”. If these protests meant their creed is like (only), then civil society has an immediate enemy at hand – Media. The Third Rate Media."
10 comments:
Saw this post cross posted at BVN's.
I hate the current media for many reasons (had one post on the same). There are people who say "change the channel if you don't want to watch it". But that's exactly what people wouldn't do. What you said is right. The media is like slow poison. Air this 100 times on television and then even the staunchest opponents will come to accept it as normal.
Wonder why the censor board, which is too eager to cut even the most aesthetically done love scenes in movies, turns a blind eye to such blatant human rights violations. How are these media men different from the "moral police" who bashed up women at the Bangalore pub?
Or do we get the kind of media we deserve?? (We who encourage "Sach Ka Samna", "Iss Jungle Se Mujhe Bachaoo" and so on)
Deepak, in this case, the issue with me, is not even the quality of the program. The issue is what you have mentioned , when the watch dog becomes the thief, its dangerous. What happened, was nothing less than hooliganism.
I read about this in BVN Talkies and one thing has struck me. The journos who commited this henious act are surely liable for prosecution under the IPC. This is not only a serious violation of the personal space of a human being but also physical and emotional torture. I'm sure the law must use itsiron hand to teach these gutter-grade journos some primary lessons. Cheapos!
Reading about this on Talkies has upset me, this is no way to treat people even if it is a prostitute.
That channel stinks. I used to work there once upon a time for a short period. Am so glad I am out of that place and its been ages.
The channel is replete with such exposes. Either pilfered from its parent channel - TV9 or other national news channels of the same calibre, for the channel is completely incapable of gripping viewers with regular news... They claim to be the most watched news channel in the city, with the highest trps, overtaking the other leading news channels. What you saw on TV yesterday, I am told was shot by TV9 Kannada and was translated into English for News9, since it was a trp-raker!
SG: Ya , thats what I felt too. It was just too shocking and upsetting, to see that people think that they can violate other people by their whim.
praveen: oh,you would know better, then I guess
Sindhu: possible... they even said, that there would be a complete 'uncut' version shown at 1 am night! and you know what that would have meant.. !
something remotely similar (just breaking in, nothing else) happened in the US with a harvard professor, and obama said that it was a human rights violation.. it is interesting that something so fundamental is being taken for granted in india and media which should protect us, is actually perpetrating it!
Bee Dee
This is most unwanted and avoidable sort of coverage pandering to dirt- minded cowards.
What do we have got to show to our visionary & hard-working forefathers of the progress made by us.. of advancing in modern times..
dere were times when a newspaper carried so much respect....
even in america, d reporting quality is very poor and most of d prime time is occupied by such garbage..
absolutely shocking! i believe this only becaus you posted it.
the channel has to be taken to task, the journaists shud b tried for molestation.
yes u r right. the media has lost all sense of proriety and ethics.
teacher.. you cant imagine my shock when i was seeing it. I was feeling so helpless... it was not only about her.To me, it represents what can happen to any woman, whom the vocal public believes to be 'wrong'
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