Northeast Nuances
3.3.5 Modes of Media and Violence Representation Strategies
According to Producer (Hindi language News bulletin) of a regional news channel:
Urban incidents are given more importance than those from rural areas. An incident associated with/ influencing high profile people (political/ cultural/ social/ industrial), urban areas is blown out of proportion whereas incidents related to common people rarely gets coverage.
According to Producer/ Anchor of News of a regional news channel:
The violent content must not incite more violence if there is a chance of it than either it is omitted or the content is regulated and toned down.
Need to regulate: Reacting to the present media scenario prevalent in the region and limitless extent to which violence is represented in media, 4% respondents (Figure 3.17) strongly feel that there needs to be a regulation body.
As far as I am aware there no law as such for the omission of violence content in media. The press council of India can play a vital role in such activities and govern the contents of the media thoroughly so that the institutes that violate these principles are punished. There are some ethical human values which all civilized person of the society possess and understands.
Medium specific strategies: Reflecting views on modes of media and violence representation strategies, majority of 64% respondents (Figure 3.18) opined that various modes of media, mainly print, television and the web, have different strategies regarding violence representation; mainly because of dissimilarity in technology and target audience groups that needs to be catered to. But the underlying fact remains, in case of newspapers and television, that violence is exploited to the utmost possibility for commercial gains and grabbing consumers’ attention for the same. Violence reporting remains same for web news portals and also web versions of newspapers or television channels. While web provides a broader range of issues diverse opening with unlimited publishers and varied views and counter views, in case of television and newspapers a controlled production group decides upon the content.
Respondents believe that television, the electronic media has more potential to cause damage to the society rather than print. Print (newspapers and news magazines) is more refrained in representation of violence because of space constrains and ample time that it gets in hand to make decisions, from production to release giving ample scope for decision making and editing. On the other hand web has the potential to cater to the information needs and wants of a varied group of audience with a large producer group as well. But because of public ownership there is possibility of message reaching fast and even counter arguments, contradictions, corrections and modifications done faster by everyone than in the case of television and print.
Regarding dealing with violence, giving different reasons for doing so, from commercialisation, consumerism, competition, pressure from authorities, to public demand and their gratification, all respondents agree to have been playing up violence related messages in news media. Only difference is the technique and design.
According to News Producer (Assamese news) of a television news channel:
These entire three platforms can represent the violent content in different ways. The most important thing is to understand which of them is more effective in representing the violent content. For example print can only use words with pictures to represent the violent news while television can send out moving images along with the audio and text which in turn can have more effect on the viewers. Internet can be one important source for sending such messages but how many of us always use internet to look for such content. Strategies may be different and
also the effect on the mass may have different levels but violence is always present in any form of media.
According to Anchor and Desk Editor of a Regional television news channel of Assam:
Electronic or broadcast media have the advantage of immediacy, and as such LIVE interactions from ground zero with the studio and/or experts and shocking footage played repetitively with On Screen Voice Over’s makes a far more impact on the audience, while print media has the advantage of a calculated and carefully studied presentation of the violence – and its reports are far more wholesome. Meanwhile, web media takes from both and the competition, more often than not, is as to which online news website can publish a story faster than its competitors.
According to Freelance journalist of Assam:
Strategies are different regarding representation of violence. Web so far appears to be more objective than the other two counterparts. Television gives more views than news.
Though the approaches are different but content in majority to attract and hold on consumers is violence. It depends on time and situation how the projection of the events or the occasions is being done by the respective media. There are specific scopes and limitations for various modes though. Print media can only show the visuals in static mode, and news is confined within the given space. Thus violence cannot be presented in big-flashy way as is possible for other media, especially television, which along with having the visual and audio support, also has graphical support to its representation. Thus recreating violence, influencing audiences and creating or breaking perceptions is easier for the television. Similar are instances of web journalism also as most of the newspapers and television news channels publish news online. While the approach to news is often distinguished for the web, the content more or less remains concentrated on violence when it comes to projection of Northeast (see Image 6).
According to respondents from print media:
Print covers the main details and the human aspects making it less sensational, TV exaggerates the violence often causing its spill over, Web propagates the news further and with video streaming and all, it can equally be damaging.
Print appears to be more accommodating of representation of violence rather than television which is more TRP hungry, while the web has its specified target audience as young and more
educated section who enjoy the facility of choosing which news they want to view. Hence variations are usually apparent in terms of representation.
Respondents from the television industry do agree to television representation of violence being more acceptable and influential because of the audio-visual nature of the media. Regarding representation of violence, television can be fast, informative as well as damaging to some extent. Some specific responses of respondents are as below:
Television is more sensational and regional TV channels in Guwahati largely do not follow any editorial ethics while representing violence on television.
Newspapers mostly rely on facts. Because of the nature of the medium, it cannot go beyond plain facts whereas television channels have a chance of playing it up and make it appealing as well, which in many cases have led people to form strong opinions too. Web also has its space to be analytical and so do magazines, but television has a larger scope to play the story up and also be manipulative.
Television being audio-visual with maximum impact value, violence is represented in it more vividly and mostly live. Blast scenes or dead bodies are common. Crime shows are also favourites in programming content. Public ownership or/and interactive feedback of content in web helps in diverse representation of everything including violence.
Print is a silent media, only the person who wants or is interested in the matter can read, see pictures and if not interested nobody can compel anyone to be part of the news. The same lies for web as well. Now for television, especially the so called “paid channels” repeatedly show particular subject with vested interest. Sometimes knowingly and sometimes unknowingly, as they are compelled to do it because owners of the media houses politically relate with some sections. But still in media there are organisations who are different from the others as they follow the norms of the constitution where it is where freedom of speech in its true sense.