Population First releases report on 10 years of media coverage of rape cases in India after Nirbhaya case

Population First, a social impact organization working for the past two decades, to promote gender sensitivity in media, released the report 'Gender Sensitivity and Coverage of Rape in Indian Media- Ten Years After Nirbhaya' at an event held at Press Club, Mumbai. The report documents the findings of a study commissioned to assess the reportage of sexual assault cases in the Indian media over the last ten years.

The study was conducted by academician Dr.Sweta Singh, Assistant Professor, Guru Govind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi, and Ms. Sameera Khan, a noted journalist who joined her as a consultant. A total of 200 stories were monitored from 41 news publications. Of these 117 were in English and 83 were in regional languages. The report is supported by UNFPA and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi.

“The Nirbhaya case in 2012 took the country by storm. A huge public fur ore followed the reportage of the case in the media. Guidelines were put in place by various authorities, to ensure greater sensitivity while reporting on sexual assault cases. Population First too had conducted several sensitization workshops and distributed widely the reporting guidelines,” noted Dr. A.L. Sharada, Director,

Population First in her welcome address

“Did all the above impact the reportage on rape? The study was commissioned to track the changes. Although we have made significant headway, a lot still needs to change. The inherent patriarchal structure of society remains a major impediment. The change is incremental, we just need to give it a major fillip,” she added.

“Media and communications play a very critical role in tackling gender discriminatory norms and structures. Given their reach and influence, they have the potential to be a strong ally in amplifying the voices of women and girls, and support them in upholding their rights, while challenging gender stereotypes and depicting women and girls in gender diverse roles,” noted Ms. Andrea Wojnar, Country Representative UNFPA, India in the opening address.

The launch was followed by a panel discussion to deliberate the present-day trends and what needs to change.  Ketan Vaidya, News Editor, Mumbai Mirror, Nidhi Jamwal, Deputy Managing Editor, Gaon Connection, Ismat Ara Investigative Journalist, The Wire, and Pragati Bankhele, Assistant News Editor, Maharashtra Times joined as the panelists.

The study analyses gender sensitivity in the news coverage of eight rape cases from different language media across the country. The five cases that were studied in detail are the Shakti Mills case (2013), the Jisha case (2016), the Kushmandi case (2018), the Hathras case (2020), and the IIT-G case (2021). For these five cases, at least two major publications were selected, one each for English and a corresponding regional language publication. Three additional cases – Kokrajhar (2015), Sakinaka (2021), and Kopardi (2016) – were also studied to gain a wider perspective. Eight parameters were considered while developing the analysis. These include language, sources, legal/medical/ forensic information, privacy, morality, sensationalism, intersectionality, and gender justice.

Important Findings of the Report

The study revealed that nuanced and sensitive media coverage of sexual assault cases substantially increased in many news publications. However, the tendency to benchmark the Nirbhaya case while reporting cases of rape has led to de-contextualising details of other cases. It also tended to homogenise the various narratives. Further, it appeared that the most brutal cases of rape with the most visible physical injuries got the widest coverage.

The language for many news stories reviewed was found to be fairly gender-sensitive, though there were stories that displayed language bias, especially in the use of certain stereotypes, a lack of diversity in sourcing information, breaches of privacy, and inadequate references to intersectional elements. It was also found that news reporters were not fully aware of the newer legal, medical, or forensic evidence laws as applicable to rape cases, and they were unable to adequately cross-question or critique police sources.

“The lack of understanding among journalists about the legalities was particularly visible in the coverage of the Hathras rape case where many did not contest the police version of denying rape based on the medical forensic report. This is despite the fact that the medical examination of the victim was carried out several days after the rape when forensic evidence becomes difficult to gather. Most media reportage did not point out that under the new rape laws, it was not necessary to corroborate a rape using medical/forensic evidence,” noted Dr. Shweta Singh while presenting the findings.

“Though it is evident that the Indian news media has come a long way in its coverage of rape and sexual assault, it is recommended that in order to further improve reportage, news media organizations need to continually invest in training and skill up-gradation of journalists and editors involved in the coverage of gender-based violence,” noted Sameera Khan.

While it was noted that the gender-sensitive stance was taken not just by the English language media but it percolated to language media as well although regional media often reflected deeply entrenched patriarchal and upper-caste biases prevalent in the geographies and locations that they function in. The study recommends regular programs to address the lacunae as well as developing an updated guide to help journalists navigate the complexities of covering rape and sexual assault.