The role of visual media is increasing day by day. Now, most of the cases are first going through TV media trial, which I feel not at all reasonable.
Some channels favour victim party while some other channels quarrel favouring the accused. The audience are also divided based on their judgements. So, visual media plays a pivotal role in creating an awareness among people in society to deal with crime cases.With rapid development of information and technology, the visual media in the shape of cable TV has reached in almost every house and moulds the public opinion in various ways.
In Maharashtra on April 16, a vigilante group lynched two Hindu sadhus and their driver in Gadchinchale village of Palghar district.
The incident was fuelled by whatsApp rumours of thieves operating in the area during the countrywide Coronavirus lockdown.
After that, the case of Susant Singh Rajput came to the limelight. One channel reported the case continuously three months nonstop in prime time programmes.
Late last month, a 19-year-old woman died in northern India State of Uttar Pradesh after reporting she’d been gang raped and brutally assulted. The victim was a Dalit and the accused are from higher caste.
However, in Palghar, the State administration geared up to arrest 115 vilagers including nine juveniles after a hue and cry of visual media. The CBI was handed over the case of Susant Singh Rajput due to media trial only.
Similarly, the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister requested CBI to probe the Hathras case fearing media trial and now the Rajasthan CM came to the spot personally and gave compensation to the victim’s family himeself only after one day. Most of the credit goes to visual media and Indian news TV channels.
Last year, Dr Priyanka Reddy, a veterinary doctor from Shamshabad in Hyderabad was found dead with her body partially burnt under Chatanpalli bridge in Shadnagar on Thursady morning. She had worked as a doctor in Kolluru village. The incident happened on Wednesdy night. She was raped, smothered and then burnt by four men who are said to be hailing from Naarayanpet.
However, this incident while was aired by visual media, the State adminstration and police came under tremondous pressure to face the general public and finally killed all the accused by an predecided false encounter to control the mob.
The riot of Delhi is aggravated due to visual media. Visual media should have a role of positive social changes, patriotism, in curbing corruption, increasing brotherhood and spreading secularism. So the fourth pillar of democracy should act more efficiently in a responsible manner.
(Er Panda lives at L-17/15, Panchasakha Nagar, Dumuduma, Khandagiri, Bhubaneswar, Mob: 9439128050, bdpanda1@gmail.com)