Understanding Media Representation of Violence in Assam
3.2. Theoretical Understanding
3.2.10 Representation of Violence as Survival Technique/Tactics
To highlight human interest stories by civic journalism and avoiding stereotypical assumptions can be a significant role by media to fight negative representation of violence.
Reflecting similar views is the response of a freelance journalist who says it is possible to rectify the misrepresentations of violence by breaking stereotypical projections and positive developmental stories:
By drawing the attention of the people about how peace has been restored. Of how further violence will only make one suffer, by projecting developments and stop giving coverage to violence beyond a certain point.
Another noteworthy mention is that in media representation of violence along with inappropriate visuals and text, careless use of terminology by media practitioners also amplifies the negative connotation of a particular media product. For instance words like militants, insurgents, terrorists, guerrillas, rebels have been interchangeable used in media for the non-state groups. It may be assumed that in not trying to comprehend and elaborate upon the details of the conflicts in the region, the mainstream media avoids creating complications and confusions among the media consumers. One easy way that the mainstream media employees for its diverse target consumers beyond the local boundaries to relate to the violence, conflicts and politics from the region, is by unanimously labelling the different armed groups in the region, surviving and fighting the Indian state as ‘terrorists’ (Hasan 2009). As rightly said, it “helps to translate the politics of the frontier into an easy reference point in the national media landscape”
(McDuie-Ra 94) even though it leads to ignoring facts of their origin, cause, motives, strategies etc.
The responses (Figure 3.10) on Representation of violence as survival technique/tactics may be categorised as below:
Figure 3.10: Responses on Representation of Violence as Survival Technique/Tactics
Violence for survival: Majority of the 64% respondents (Figure 3.10) opined about representation of violence as a survival tactics in the highly competitive consumerised media industry, for TRP and other commercial gains. Respondents opined, as explosions, riots, mass murders etc. are easy to understand with little contextual explanations, and thus violence is able to attract audiences.
According to a freelance journalist of Assam:
If you go by general tendency of what people like. Sex and violence always comes on top, followed by politics, current affairs, sports, music and entertainment.
According to Senior Copy Editor, of English language newspaper published from Guwahati:
As most of the media houses are run as business nowadays, TRPs and readership numbers play a vital role in selecting the stories and reporting these in certain angles.
According to Managing Editor of a television news channel broadcasted from Guwahati:
Competition is the thumb rule of any successful media house today. Without completion there will not be any profit. The sole purpose of owning media house houses for profit. Therefore, in this kind of situation one of the elements of survival techniques is depiction of violence. Media houses have been pouring in the violent content for the viewers and the viewers are readily accepting them.
According to Producer of television news channel:
Violence attracts audience. This is an undoubted survival technique of the media house for increasing TRP’s and revenue generation.
72
10
30
0 20 40 60 80
Violence for survival
Restrained tactics Not a survival technique
No. of Respondents
Representation of violence as survival technique/tactics- Responses
Responses
Referring to the facts exaggeration in content as well as representation a regional as a survival tactic a vernacular language newspaper editor said:
More than survival techniques it is one up-manship with the competitors. It is a business profit tactic. The twisted facts and rounded up figures are only to stay first in the media competition.
Entirely agreeing that violence representation is a survival strategy of the media houses and the vernacular language media explores it to the fullest to increase readership circulation, Staff reporter of a vernacular language newspaper organization said:
More the story sells stronger you become to survive in the media industry. And violence sells, that’s a known, experienced, proved and the most practiced fact of today. We constantly look for such stories which interest our readers and are useful piece of information.
According to Editor of a vernacular language newspaper organisation:
This is a competitive world and earning is the first priority for any media house and to survive.
To remain in race and to compete with other media houses violence cannot be avoided.
Restrained tactics: 9% respondents (Figure 3.10) opined that representation of violence is not the only survival tactics employed by media to exist and function in the highly commercial industry. Though violence representation constitutes a considerable amount of media content respondents opined that violence was not the primary technique employed to endure the market scenario.
According to Editor of a regional vernacular newspaper organization:
30% of the total news content is violence oriented. The actual event representation is very less, most of it is the aftermath. Violence not always can be said to be media’s survival tactics.
According to Producer (News) of a regional television channel:
Violence is not the only option to survive but ofcourse it is one. At times media creates unnecessary hype over incidents of violence, over representation and misrepresentation at times too.
Not a survival technique: 27% respondents (Figure 3.10) refute to representation of violence being a survival technique/tactics for media houses, contradicting the opinion of the majority the rest 64% of the respondents interviewed. While respondents agree that violence representation is dominant in media content, they see it as a reality reflection in media which cannot be and should not be avoided.
Respondents believe violence in media is for informing the audiences and not for the
sake of popularity, gaining TRPs and circulations. However, in representing instances of violence in media, respondents suggest, regulations are required to limit and control representation of violence.
According to regional Correspondent of a national English language newspaper:
Violence is a part of the society and media will always render news of anything that exists in the society. Violence is not media creation.
Pointing at the fact that violence in media may be repulsive for the media consumers if flared out of proportions, and that too much violence representation cannot be a survival tactics in media industry as it may adversely affect the media organisations’
reputation, credibility and audience, Senior Editor of a regional television news channel says:
If you go by general tendency of what people like, sex and violence always comes on top, followed by politics, current affairs, sports, music and entertainment. Representation of violence however is an important criterion for TV or Print media but it is not the most important one.
You cannot fill up 24 hours or for that matter 24 pages of news with only violence. People do like violence but too much of it generally tends to push readers/viewers away. Overall, it’s just a fraction of what news content gets published on air or on paper. It is definitely not a tactic.
Reflecting upon the view that violence is not a media creation but mere representation which needs to be regulated so that it would not instigate misconceptions or igniting further violence, CEO & Content Editor of a television news channel broadcasted from Guwahati says:
It is not a survival tactics, it is a trend set by us. What we represent and the way we do it depends on the message we intent to communicate. The message is not ‘violence’ but the
‘incidence’ of violence. We can surely change it, if we want to. A content regulatory body is the need of the hour in Northeast.