Name game
Calling someone by a diminutive such as “boy” or “little” is a way of one race subjugating another. Calling a land a “new world” is a way of wiping out its history and prior identity. The media has inherited many of the assumptions and attitudes of the colonialists, with naming often taking on specific class and gender contours, says Sharmila Joshi
Figure it out: Reporting on trafficking in women
Media coverage of trafficking of women and children, migration and sex work is confused and inaccurate. Media wrongly uses the terms ‘sex work’ and ‘trafficking’ synonymously, perpetuating stereotypes and stigmatisation and contributing to the violation of women’s right to free movement and livelihood options, say these authors
The regulator's wish list
The recent recommendations made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the entry of certain entities into radio and television is full of good intentions, but how many of them are implementable in the current confused state of broadcasting in the country?
No, we can't
With its breathless coverage of the American elections, the Indian media has demonstrated once again that it simply cannot shake off its colonised worldview, says Sharmila Joshi
Engaging with the media
Media advocacy is a way of getting an important issue adequate and accurate coverage. An initiative in Bangalore showed how media advocacy highlighted the issue of a dying river and resulted in questions being asked in the state assembly
The ten commandments of news broadcasting
The big difference between the code of ethics drawn up by the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) and that of the I&B ministry is that the NBA has set up an independent disputes redressal authority, whereas the ministry’s code gives overarching powers to the central government
The stress is on conflict, not its resolution: Chindu Sreedharan
Conflict is at the heart of every interesting news story, says Chindu Sreedharan in this analysis of how the Indian and Pakistani media cover Kashmir. But journalism tends to simplify issues and see things in black and white, which won't do in reporting conflict
Terror reporting and the gullible pen
The recent serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad have exposed, yet again, the dilemma the media faces in covering such events. While reporting in detail the horror and the tragedy surrounding the event are a natural part of the media's task, how should it handle the speculation about the culprits behind the attack?
Indecent proposals
The National Commission for Women has recommended amendments to the Indecent Representation of Women Act, broadening the definition of “indecent representation” and introducing more stringent punishment under the law. But with this move, is the NCW taking the debate on representation of women in the media forward in any meaningful way?