Violence against Women Digitized: An Analysis of Times of India Online Videos after the Delhi Gang Rape

Amani Ismail 1 *, Smeeta Mishra 2
More Detail
1 The American University in Cairo, Egypt
2 Institute of Management Technology, India
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 6, Issue 2, pp. 158-176. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2553
OPEN ACCESS   1709 Views   1792 Downloads   Published online: 26 Apr 2016
Download Full Text (PDF)

ABSTRACT

This study examined Times of India's online portrayal of violence against women during the summer of 2013, about six months after the Delhi Gang Rape. We used a purposive sample of news videos reporting violence against women that were published on the Times of India website. We performed textual analysis to answer two research questions. First, how was violence against women portrayed in TOI's online video footage? And second, how do such portrayals contribute to our understanding of the role of new media in communicating social conflict to their audiences? That the videos contain both visual and auditory components was conducive to the study's purpose due to the graphic nature of violence, and thus news decisions regarding imagery and sound become crucial to understanding how media construct these events. Results show that in cases of violent crime against women, the survivor was violated twice: by both the perpetrator and the media as she is neither treated with dignity nor is her privacy respected.

CITATION

Ismail, A., & Mishra, S. (2016). Violence against Women Digitized: An Analysis of Times of India Online Videos after the Delhi Gang Rape. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 6(2), 158-176. https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2553

REFERENCES

  • Aarushi case make ex-CBI director a witness, say parents. (2013, May 1). Times Now. Retrieved May 21, 2013 from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Aarushi-case-Make-ex-CBI-director-awitness-say-parents/videoshow/19816502.cms
  • Alat, Z. (2006). News coverage of violence against women: The Turkish case. Feminist Media Studies, 6(3), 295-314.
  • American tourist gang-raped in Manali: Police. (2013, June 4). Times Now. Retrieved May 19, 2014, from Times of India website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/American-tourist-gang-raped-inManali-Police/videoshow/20430665.cms
  • Another shame: 30-year-old gang-raped in UP (2013, June 12). Times Now. Retrieved May 10, 2014, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Another-shame-30-year-old-gangraped-in-UP/videoshow/20550530.cms
  • Arrested for rape, Meghalaya cop escapes from custody. (June 5, 2013). Times Now. Retrieved May 11, 2014, from Times of India website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Arrested-for-rape-Meghalaya-copescapes-from-custody/videoshow/20445243.cms
  • Berrington, E., & Honkatukia, P. (2002). An evil monster and a poor thing: Female violence in the media. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, 3, 50-72.
  • Castro had violent past: Ex-daughter-in-law. (2013, May 10). Times Now. Retrieved May, 22, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Castro-had-violent-past-Ex-daughterin-law/videoshow/19982215.cms
  • Caught on cam: UP cop slaps girl inside police station. (2013, May 14). Times Now. Retrieved May 22, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Caught-on-cam-UP-cop-slaps-girlinside-police-station/videoshow/20041651.cms
  • Chaudhury, S. (2013, June 29). Framed? The Aarushi-Hemraj murder case – An investigation. Tehelka, 26 (10). Retrieved July 1, 2013, from http://www.tehelka.com/framed-the-aarushi-hemraj-murder-case-an-investigation/
  • Class XII girl student shot dead in Delhi’s Munirka area. (2013, May 10). Times Now. Retrieved May 22, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Class-XII-girl-student-shot-dead-inDelhis-Munirka-area/videoshow/19984628.cms
  • Clingmon, S. (2011). Poll: The 5 most dangerous countries for women. PBS.org. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/poll-five-mostdangerous-countries-for-women/
  • Drache, D. & Velagic, J. (2013). A report on sexual violence journalism in four leading Indian English language publications before and after the Delhi Rape. Retrieved May 18, 2014, from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2277310
  • Express News Service (June 15, 2011). India fourth most dangerous country for women: Poll. The Indian Express, Retrieved May 10, 2014, from: http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/india-fourth-most-dangerous-country-forwomen-poll/803716/
  • Examining violence against women in India: Changes, challenges, and futures (2013, May) Asia Report (20), Sigur Center for Asian Studies, George Washington University. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from: https://www.gwu.edu/~sigur/assets/docs/publications/asiareports/asiareport20.pdf
  • Fahmy, S. (2007). “They took it down”: Exploring determinants of visual reporting in the toppling of the Saddam statue in national and international newspapers. Mass Communication and Society, 10(2), 143-170.
  • Freedman, M. (2011, September 12). When sympathy turns to voyeurism. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved May 5, 2014, from: http://www.smh.com.au/federalpolitics/society-and-culture/when-sympathy-turns-to-voyeurism-20110912-1k4n7.html
  • Geetika case: Court orders framing of charges against Gopal Kanda. (2013, May 10). Times Now. Retrieved May 22, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Geetika-case-Court-orders-framing-ofcharges-against-Gopal-Kanda/videoshow/19987816.cms
  • Hundal, S. (2013, December 10). Delhi rape: one year on, has anything changed for India's women? The Guardian. Retrieved April 12, 2014, from http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/10/delhi-rape-one-year-anythingchanged-india-women
  • Indian Navy hit by another sex scandal; Antony orders probe. (2013, May 14). Times Now. Retrieved May 24, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Indian-Navy-hit-by-another-sexscandal-Antony-orders-probe/videoshow/20051559.cms
  • Jiwani, Y., & Young, M.L. (2006). Missing and murdered women: Reproducing marginality in news discourse. Canadian Journal of Communication, 31, 895-917.
  • Kahlor, L., & Eastin, M. (2011). Television’s role in the culture of violence toward women: A study of television viewing and the cultivation of rape myth acceptance in the United States. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 55(2), 215-231.
  • Khan, S. (2010) When survivors become victims. In Sharma, K. (Ed.) Missing, half the story: Journalism as if Gender Matters (pp. 83-118). New Delhi: Zubaan.
  • Kidnap, rape charges for Ohio man; women go home. (2013, May 9). Times Now. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Kidnap-rape-charges-for-Ohio-manwomen-go-home/videoshow/19963918.cms
  • Lapsansky, C., & Chatterjee, J. (2013). Masculinity matters: Using entertainment education to engage men in ending violence against women in India. Critical Arts, 27(1), 36-55.
  • Lover’s father sets girl on fire in Uttar Pradesh (2013, June 14). Times Now. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from Times of India website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Lovers-father-sets-girl-on-fire-in-UttarPradesh/videoshow/20584137.cms
  • Malik, P. (2013). Honour-based violence with special reference to “Khap Panchayat” in Haryana and the Indian panel code. Indian Streams Research Journal, 3(5) [Online: www.isrj.net].
  • McKee, A. (2003). Textual analysis: A beginner’s guide. London: Sage Publications.
  • MP teen raped, set ablaze; now justice denied. (2013, May 14). Times Now. Retrieved May 22, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/MP-Teen-raped-set-ablaze-nowjustice-denied/videoshow/20041743.cms
  • Nettleton, P. (2011). Domestic violence in men’s and women’s magazines: Women are guilty of choosing the wrong men, men are not guilty of hitting women. Women’s Studies in Communication, 34, 139-160.
  • Neumann, R., & Fahmy, S. (2012). Analyzing the spell of war: A war/peace framing analysis of the 2009 visual coverage of the Sri Lankan Civil War in Western newswires. Mass Communication and Society, 15¸169-200.
  • Nigam, A. (2013, June 17). Barasat rape, murder and the culture of rape in West Bengal: Soma Marik. Kafila. Retrieved from: http://kafila.org/2013/06/17/barasat-rape-murderand-the-culture-of-rape-in-west-bengal-soma-marik/
  • Noh, M., Lee, M., & Feltey, K. (2010). Mad, bad, or reasonable? Newspaper portrayals of the battered woman who kills. Gender Issues, 27, 110-130.
  • Press Trust of India (2013). Aarushi-Hemraj murder case: CBI says Rajesh Talwar found the two in objectionable position. India Today. Retrieved May 6, 2014, from: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/aarushi-hemraj-murder-cbi-rajesh-talwarobjectionable-position/1/267287.html
  • Protests arise over Osaka mayor’s remarks on comfort women. (2013, May 15). Times Now. Retrieved May 24, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Protests-arise-over-Osaka-mayorsremarks-on-comfort-women/videoshow/20068011.cms
  • Rose, D. (2000). Analysis of moving images. In Bauer, M.W., & Gaskell, G. (Eds). Qualitative Researching with text, image and sound: A practical handbook (pp. 246- 262). London: Sage.
  • Shocking: Policemen strip woman on suspicion. (2013, May 14). Times Now. Retrieved May 23, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Shocking-Policemen-strip-woman-onsuspicion/videoshow/20050827.cms
  • Shocking: Teenager allegedly raped and burnt alive. (2013, May 13). Times Now. Retrieved May 22, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Shocking-Teenager-allegedly-rapedburnt-alive/videoshow/20024084.cms
  • Singh, M. (2008, May 29). India’s JonBenet Ramsey case? Time.com, Retrieved May 8, 2014, from: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1810162,00.html
  • Stepbrother arrested in California stabbing; community saddened. (2013, May 14). Times Now. Retrieved May 23, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/Step-brother-arrested-in-Californiastabbing-community-saddened/videoshow/20043434.cms
  • Talwar couple get life sentence in Aarushi-Hemraj double murder case (2013, November 16). India Today Online. Retrieved May 10, 2014, from: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/aarushi-hemraj-murder-verdict-talwars-ghaziabadcourt/1/326596.html
  • Tucker-McLaughlin, M. (2013). YouTube’s most-viewed videos: Where the girls aren’t. Women and Language, 36(1), 43-49.
  • U.S. military sex assault reports up; changes ordered. (2013, May 9). Times Now. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from Times of India Website: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/US-Military-sex-assault-reports-upchanges-ordered/videoshow/19963946.cms