Newspapers Portrayal of Rape in India

Abstract

The crime of rape has always been a problem that women of all age, religion, caste and social class are subjected to. This has been a topic of discussion for many years and more vibrantly after the active participation of feminists movements in the late 1970 s. A number of researches have been done on this topic and the government also allocates lot of fund for the safety of women. Even after many such measures, rape still remains as a threat to the society. Though the mixing of western culture, and belief in rape myths are cited often as reason for rape, the real reason behind the crime seems to be highly patriarchal the urge to keep women under control. When the society is really worried and concerned about the safety of women, it is essential to know the role of newspapers in curtailing this sexual violence. Media is the fourth pillar of democracy. People rely heavily on newspapers as they feel it is more unbiased, objective and true. They feel that the newspapers carry news which is free from fiction of the other types of media. Hence whatever image the newspaper carries about all the social evils, especially rape which is a taboo subject is worth studying. The image the newspaper carries about a crime that has been happening at a harmful rate and a real threat to the society has to be understood so that effective measures can be done in the way newspapers communicate to the public. newline