Sheena
Bora case: Where is the media headed?
http://www.thehoot.org/media-watch/media-practice/sheena-bora-case-where-is-the-media-headed-8884
For the last three days, the fanatical and
kite-flying reporting in the media over the Sheena Bora murder case makes it
seem as if there is no other important issue to discuss in India. What can we
call it – yellow journalism, sensational journalism or is it journalism at all?
We are experiencing a kind of journalism that
has thrown all media ethics, morality and laws to the wind. A kind of
journalism where just about anybody and everybody are voicing opinions and turning
investigative officers -- throwing about bizarre theories and allegations and the
media is lapping it up for TRPs and hits.
TV channels are airing the topic as their
main debate with panellists turning moral police on their prime time slots. Cameras
are reaching everywhere, right from Guwahati to Kolkata, to Alipore, to Raigad to
Dehradun and of course Mumbai -- the place of crime -- making life hell for friends,
families and neighbours.
Panellists
from different fields are delivering their own judgements, sometimes referring
Indrani as Lady Macbeth and sometimes propagating theories on why the murder
took place. They think they are appointed by the CBI to solve the case.
One friend of Sanjeev Khanna was asked, does
he think Khanna could be the murderer. As a friend why would he answer that?
Some even are showing dramatic representations
of the sequence of events with cartoons or actors.
Some websites are going to any extent to
increase readership, publishing all murky details like ‘if Sheena was
pregnant?’ without even verifying the facts and writing about Indrani’s past
life in Guwahati based on unnamed people.
The print media is not far behind giving too
much space to the topic with almost half page on page 1 and two more pages
inside with pictures of Indrani and Peter reading ‘once happy couple’. The dramatic
saga is getting the same space even two-three days after it first came to
light.
People from different media sections whoever
was ‘once’ in touch with the media baron Indrani Mukherjea are now jumping in
to get some footage. One top journalist made some startling and disturbing revelations
about Indrani’s traumatic childhood and the print media readily lapping it up
on the front pages without even following even basic journalistic norms. Do we
have any reason to believe these bizarre, unsubstantiated theories? And why
would we want to know so many personal details?
All sections of the
media are busy creating their own theories about Peter Mukherjea’s statement
that he did not know; how Rahul Mukherjea can remain silent about the
disappearance of his girlfriend and how can Mikhail Bora be silent for three
years, he being a brother. A TV reporter
also followed Mikhail on-board the flight he was coming to Mumbai to join the
investigation. The media is also showing interest on the biological father of
Sheena and Mikhail.
The number of
marriages of Indrani has become the butt of jokes even on social media with
Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani’s second husband also in the hook. First sister, then
daughter is another hot topic.
The social media
with no gate-keeping is also showing its really ugly and dangerous side with
just about anybody saying anything.
Twitter and Facebook
are full of such comments.
*Who killed Who.
Who married Who. Who was in Relationship with Who. Enough of who. Lets find
this who. #SheenaTruthOut
*Meanwhile, Rahul
Gandhi alleges that BJP govt is responsible 4 #Sheena
murder & the coverup.INC would hv done a better job! #SheenaTruthOut
* #SheenaTruthOut Guys if any of you has been an ex husband of
Indrani tell us now !!! No shocks later....
Some have turned detectives and are floating their own
conspiracy theories.
*SheenaTruthOut The motive could be money(black) Better
check the bank accounts of all concerned incl. Sheena's.
*In #SheenaTruthOut how come Upendra Bora, rapist has not been
arrested? How come Peter, Rahul and Mikhail are not being charged complicity?
But then there some who seemed sensible and took on the
media for the carpet bombing of Shena/Indrani stories.
*TIMES NOW don't
you have better news to play ? too much on this. Let Police do the rest #SheenaTruthOut
*Horrible!The
lengths you go to in the name of journalism. Some restraint & sensitivity
next time? #SheenaTruthOut
I being a journalist am just thinking to what
extent media can go to increase TRPs and readership. It seems the media has
deleted the word ethics from its dictionary. Sometimes I feel pity for the
reporters who are given the responsibility of round-the-clock coverage.
The job of media is
to report the issue not to give judgements that too on a public platform and
turn a simple reporting exercise into a slander campaign against someone. More
than reporting a murder story, the media seems more interested in finding out sensational
personal details that may help them give more TRPs and hits.
The rich can hide behind their high walls but
the poor family of the driver, who was also allegedly an accomplice, is facing
the brunt of our so- called society with everyone closing doors on their face.
I as a reader am fed up of reading all these unwanted
and murky details and want to read some real issues. Let the police do their
job and the law take its own course.
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