I Think: The media needs to be the voice of the victims
Simona Jacob, student, Bangalore
I get most of my news online, generally via social media. I use Instagram quite a bit, so I use that to get perspectives from different news organisations. I follow Vice, Hindu, the News Minute, Brut and NowThis, to name a few. I don’t get much time to read newspapers and to watch TV, to be honest.
I think, the statistics speak for themselves, when it comes to how unsafe India is for women. The media is covering barely a fraction of the actual number of rapes and other types of sexual violence that are happening.
Most recently, Hyderabad gang-rape and murder case has created a huge impact on women, since it was extremely brutal and cruel. I was going through a lot of emotions when I read about that case, it broke my heart, I was frustrated, scared and angry, all at the same time.
Overall, I think the media plays a big role, but the style of reporting should change. They should portray the rapists more than they talk about the victim, they should say more on what is going wrong. They should report more, and not just every now and then.
Sexual violence is not talked about as much as it should be in India. Be it marital rape, molestation or harassment, it’s all sexual abuse, one way or the other. Men should also participate in talking and creating awareness, alongside the women. Rape jokes and objectification should not be encouraged.
The media can create a drastic change. It is in their hands to call out people and to fight the normalisation of rape and sexual violence in society. They should convey to people how often this happens, and why sexual violence is not okay.
If I were a journalist, my focus would be on the rapists or the accused, definitely, and also on how we can make changes, find actual solutions. My message for journalists would be to follow up on stories, to not use pictures of the victim, to speak for the citizens of India, to be the voice for victims.
