The molestation of a young woman journalist
by her boss, who, as one of the English news channel anchor puts it, ‘one of
India’s best journalist’, has created ripples which have touched and 'shocked' the upper
echelon of the society.
However, this is nothing new, Molestation in media, that is. I entered the ‘reverend’ Fourth estate in 2006. It has been 7 years
now and I have seen and witnessed many such incidents, which have taken place
not in elevators but inside the meeting hall where the bureau head or the
editor in chief is taking the bureau meeting on how to cover stories, ironically, one such incident took place when the bureau was discussing how to 'cover' rising rape incidents
in the national capital.
The assault happens in front of everyone,
from the junior most reporters to the special correspondent. All sit and just
wriggle in their chairs as their editor undress a woman reporter through his
eyes. What choice do one have?
With time, any conscience in the mind of the editor that
this ‘undressing’ will be witnessed by the other reporters who are present in
the editor room, also fades. And with time, this ‘visual-rape’ is imbibed in
the values of those who are working for that newspaper. This becomes a part of 'ethos'. Soon enough ,the undressing of the female
reporter by the editor is discussed over tea and fag, and forgotten with the
last puff. This ‘talent’, one of the
many that the editor possesses, becomes a part of his rich repertoire.
A close colleague of mine
recently went to interview one of the most well known investigative reporter in
India (He is synonymous with the concept of sting in India). The meeting lasted
for 20 minutes and as she told me later, he was too informal with her. But, she
took it as a sign that he was trying to make her comfortable so that his ‘awe’
does not affect the young reporter.
Later that night she received a
message from his number- “You are beautiful. Your sultry and dusky color…”.The sentence ended with three dots.
This was a message that came from
a 40 plus ‘senior’ journo to a girl who was in early 20s. Was this molestation? I leave it on your better judgment to decide
this.
I understand the concern over the Tehelka incident that is
being expressed by those who are outside the media fraternity, but it is a bit difficult
for me to fathom that why the journalists are raising such an outcry over it.
It is not that the Tehelka incident has
happened for the first time. This clamorous
conduct on their part amounts to something more than hypocrisy.
It is not the Nirbahaya moment
for media as someone called it and it is not definitely the ‘chickens have come
home to roost’ moment. It is just that the veil that covered the black albeit colorful
conduct of the who’s who’s of the media has been blow, temporarily of course. People should just stop
perceiving the media as a ‘holy cow’. It never was.
Sexual banter and assault emanates from the top. No reporter would have the courage to do anything bordering sexual assault if he knows that his editor is watching him and not her. It is they who have to take up the responsibility. Till that happens, we can continue with our protest on Twitter and the shows on news channels.
Sexual banter and assault emanates from the top. No reporter would have the courage to do anything bordering sexual assault if he knows that his editor is watching him and not her. It is they who have to take up the responsibility. Till that happens, we can continue with our protest on Twitter and the shows on news channels.