Kannada TV channels called out for insensitive NYE coverage

Cameras zoomed in on women in vulnerable situations

Many Kannada TV channels are facing flak for their ‘voyeuristic’ coverage of New Year’s eve celebrations.

Prominent news channels broadcast videos of men and women exiting pubs and bars in the M G Road area, Koramangala and Indiranagar. The videos were also posted on their social media accounts.

In some cases, the cameras zoom in on women’s bodies as they sit on the curb or stumble along the road. The captions read: ‘Nadurasteyalli premigala chumbana’ (Lovers kiss in the middle of the street), ‘Road madhya biddu oddadida hudugiru’ (Girls collapse and writhe in the middle of the road), and ‘Girlfriend tight, ethkondu hoda boyfriend’ (Boyfriend carries drunk girlfriend), and hashtags like ‘#notincontrol’ and ‘#drunkwomen’ are used. The videos were picked up and circulated by popular Kannada social media accounts.

“This can’t be considered ‘reportage’. It was plain stalking of women and couples on the streets. This is a clear case of voyeurism. It is the second year in a row that such videos have been posted. It is shameful that there has been no action from the State Commission for Women,” says human rights activist Brinda Adige.

She is concerned such videos could be misused. “Once something is on the Internet, it is there for eternity… it can be misused as pornographic content. Yesterday, a group of girls contacted me saying they wanted to file a police complaint against their videos being posted online. However, they stepped back as the videos had already been shared at their workplace and they didn’t want to attract more attention,” she says.

At Rashi’s (name changed) office in Hebbal, a colleague was so embarrassed by a video that went viral that she was anxious about showing up. “She was filmed throwing up. Someone noticed the video and shared it on our office WhatsApp group,” she says. 

The coverage shows the growing lack of ethics among news channels, says
G N Mohan, senior journalist and writer. “In the West, it is general protocol that when a mob or any mass gathering is covered it must be shot either from the back or from far away, at a wide angle. In case closer shots are required, people’s faces are blurred. This used to be the case in India too. It is unfortunate that we have regressed,” he says.

He calls for the establishment of a stringent ethics committee in every newsroom. “Journalists no longer seem to follow the dos and don’ts prescribed by the Press Council of India,” he says.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS…

While there is no legal bar on filming a public area, “disseminating defamatory content of a private person without any public interest being involved can warrant legal action”, a legal expert says.

Section 79 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita takes a stern view of insult resulting from intrusion of a woman’s privacy, Akanksha Natesan, advocate, tells Metrolife. The punishment may extend to three years of imprisonment and a fine.

“One can ask the media houses to remove such content from their platforms, and also file a defamation case if they resist it. They can approach the high court through a writ petition,” says advocate Indra Dhanush.

The aggrieved can also demand compensation. “According to the IT Act of 2000, if you deal with or handle any sensitive or personal information, you must take all measures to protect it,” he adds