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(This story was first published on 24 July 2016. It has been republished from The Quint’s archives to mark the fifth anniversary of the Nirbhaya case. Five years on, we are still a long way from creating a safe space for women. A set of recent incidents involving gruesome rapes of women across the country has yet again raised several questions about the Indian society and the judiciary.)
On 17 June 2016, a 23-year old woman was gangraped in Delhi. The next day, a major newspaper reported the rape with the headline “On her way home from movie, 23-year-old gangraped in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar.” Almost every media organisation explicitly mentioned that the survivor was raped when she was returning at 3.15 am after watching a movie with her friend at a popular Delhi multiplex.
And this is not an isolated example. Every time rape is reported in the media, it is done so with details like how the survivor dozed off when she was travelling in an Uber at night or how she was at a nightclub in Kolkata late at night and in some cases, how objects were inserted in her vagina to brutalise her in Motihari.
For any journalist to write a factually sound report, the first rule of reporting is the ‘5Ws and 1H’ rule – answering what, why, who, when, where and how of the incident in question.
But, in the specific case of rape, is it possible that in the interests of factual reporting, an implicit narrative of victim blaming also seeps into the way the media reports on rape? Within the newsroom, are there specific guidelines on reporting on rape and sexual assault? How does a journalist factually report a rape, without compromising the rape survivor’s identity and casting aspersions on her character?
In journalism, facts are sacred.
And so, if when a rape took place, the survivor was in a nightclub – that is a fact. Which shall be reported. However uncomfortable the fact may be, and whatever implications it may have for the survivor. As a journalist, if I fact check and put out a good report responsibly, surely that is where my job ends?
Well, maybe not.
But apart from being sacred, aren’t facts real as well? Existing in a nuanced socio-political framework with real implications for a rape survivor?
So, as a journalist how do I maintain the balance between factual reporting and responsible, sensitive reporting?
According to Section 228A of the Indian Penal Code, anyone who ‘publishes the name or any matter which may make known the identity’ of a rape survivor is liable to imprisonment of two years.
Apart from legally binding rules, ethical guidelines on how to report gender-based violence also exist. For instance, a sixteen-point guideline published in Feminism in India suggests that reporting which ‘suggests that the survivors of sexual violence encouraged the attack on themselves by something they did, wore, went, or said should be avoided.’
While there have been individual newsrooms who have implemented ethical guidelines or organised sensitisation workshops, a uniform guideline across newsrooms is missing.
According to the 2014 figures provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 93 rapes are committed in India every day. But, only some are reported in the mainstream media (largely defined by English-language newspapers and TV channels.)
One answer is: distance.
When a newspaper is addressing an urban audience, there is bound to be greater coverage of rape committed in urban areas. But a sustained focus on how women are raped when they are outside the home, may also conform to a stereotype about women in public spaces.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)
Published: 30 Jun 2016,12:26 PM IST