Understanding Media Representation of Violence in Assam
3.2. Theoretical Understanding
3.2.11 Representation of Violence in Practice: Scale and Exposure
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.
flexible and relaxed (section 3.2.3). The commercial approach of media seems to be working behind the general reporting of violence (section 3.2.7).
The responses (Figure 3.11) on scale and exposure of violence representation may be categorised as below:
Figure 3.11: Responses on Scale and Exposure of Violence Representation
Flexible rules: Regarding the scale of violence, what is exposed in media and what is restricted from publicity, 72% opined (Figure 3.11) that no particular standards are followed by individual media practitioners and media houses regarding representation of violence in media.
According to Desk editor and Feature writer of a regional English language newspaper:
Norms are always forgotten while reporting violence. Except graphics that can be visually very disturbing, for instance, innards of the killed or murdered person, rest all is exposed.
According to CEO & Content Editor of a regional television news channel:
All kinds of violence are shown on the channel. If there is a need to censor some story or visuals or a fact in a story, for larger national interest, it is sometime not aired.
According to Producer (Assamese News) of a regional television news channel:
Theoretically we always try to avoid visuals that depict violence but practically we most of the time forget and cross a certain limit in depicting the violent contents.
According to Bureau Chief of a national television news channel and news network:
It depends on the situation, since we go for National coverage and its National importance, scale and exposure level varies from event to event. Also the demand of the national media houses set standards.
81
31
0 20 40 60 80 100
Flexible rules Censored violence
No. of Respondents
Representation of violence in practice- Responses
Responses
According to Freelance journalist:
There are several unsaid rules. But depending on situations rule books are also modified instantly depending upon the intensity of the situation. Covered news programmes featuring violence are mostly elaborate and extensive.
Specifically pointing at reporting of crime against women, News-coordinator of a regional news channel of Assam says, that the media possess all means and power to report and expose any kind of violence without any restrictions to the public. But in the present media scenario in reporting crimes the victims need to be vocal about their grievances in order to avoid misreporting or over-representation of facts.
I think we have everything we need to cover incidents of crime against women in any intensity and report. Crimes sometimes are not violent. They can vary from time to time based on situational circumstances. Representation of violence would have changed a lot had many cases of crime against women/children reported in police stations. Moreover, women in rural areas do not tend to exercise their rights in protecting themselves despite the law providing them with adequate security. The trend in urban centres is moreover same. Thus reporting of violence is mostly based on the reporters’ knowledge and perception.
Censored violence: 28% respondents (Figure 3.11) opined that representation of violence is kept minimal in scale and exposure for mass consumption. Apparently, as means to censor the depiction of violence in media, photos or graphic details of gory incidents of violence are not published or flashed, graphic tools are used to distort images or visuals, language used is taken care of, and similar techniques are employed to keep the consumers of the media away from the direct negative impact of direct reporting of violence.
According to Freelance journalist from Assam:
Apart from disseminating information, media also plays the role of a gatekeeper. Hence due importance is given while exposing the masses to any incident of violence. It is always a constant endeavour to keep the scale of violent content to the minimum possible and that it does not affect the audience in any way.
According to Sub-editor of a regional vernacular language newspaper:
Any gory incident is reduced to the main facts without over sensationalising and going to its intricate details. We tell the people what and how much is necessary.
According to regional correspondent of a national newspaper organization:
We don’t exaggerate any news of violence ever. We always try to balance it with only factual information and try not to harm anyone’s sentiments. We have a strict no for any nuisance.
According to Producer (Assamese news) of a regional television channel:
Blood, gory images, faces of victims are usually blurred. Physical fighting like slapping, fist- fights etc. are shown. Bomb blasts, gunshots are also shown but when required images are blurred.
According to Copy Editor of an English language newspaper published from Assam:
Violence particularly religious violence is handled very carefully, thorough research and objectivity is majorly checked and only then information is let out to the masses.
According to Freelance Senior journalist of Assam:
Ethnic violence if any is mentioned without reference to ethnicity of accused or victims. Similar is the case of refraining from referring religion, nationality and location in sensitive media reports.
According to Staff reporter of a vernacular language newspaper:
The incidents of violence are reported keeping in view that the reporting does not intensify the violence while the public is to be informed about the incident; at least the prime facts to be reported.
According to Sub-editor of a national newspaper organisation:
A take on the atrocity of the incident is always helpful in the coverage of the aftermath of any violence, which media does. But it is rare in the daily jostle of television stories. Otherwise mostly information about violence is filtered before producing it for the audiences in print media.
Majority of respondents who pointed at the need to censor violence representation were found to be associated with the print media houses. Out of 31 respondents who hint at censored violence 27 were associated with the print media industry. As they stressed upon need to filter information before finally being served to the audiences, there was always a scope for negotiation in terms of reporting magnitude and relevance in times of severe competition and large scale massacres.