Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s

Role: A Study

SUBMITTED TO:
MR. ANKIT AWASTHI
Faculty,
MEDIA AND LAW (Optional.)

BY:

SIRSHENDU MAZUMDAR
Roll No. 152
Semester X, B.A., LL.B. (Hons.)

Hidayatullah National Law University

New Raipur, Chhattisgarh

1
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the project work entitled “Portrayal of Women in Contemporary
Society and Media’s Role: A Study” submitted to HNLU, Raipur, is record of an original
work done by me under the able guidance of Mr. ANKIT AWASTHI , Faculty Member,
HNLU, New Raipur.

SIRSHENDU MAZUMDAR
BATCH XIII
ROLL NO. 152

A Project On media and law

2
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep sense of gratitude towards my course
teacher, Mr. Ankit Awasthi for giving me constant guidance and encouragement throughout
the course of the project.
I would also like to thank the University for providing me the internet and library facilities
which were indispensable for getting relevant content on the subject, as well as subscriptions
to online databases and journals, which were instrumental in writing relevant text.
Special thanks goes out to my seniors who have been relentless in their help and supporting
providing any material whenever required and my colleagues, who always stood by me,
irrespective of the decisions taken by me. Without their support this project would not have
seen the light of the day.

A Project On media and law

3
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Declaration………………………………………………………………………………………………i

Acknowledgement………………………………………………………………………….…ii

Research Methodology…….……….………………………………………………………...iv

INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………...7

PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN ON TELEVISION AND PRINT MEDIA………………….....8

PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN CINEMA …………………………………………..…....11

WOMEN AND MEDIA: THE LEGAL DEBATE…………………………………….......13

SUGGESTIONS……………………………………………………………………………17

CONCLUSION…………………...……………………………………………………….-18

REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………..19

A Project On media and law

4
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Where the media renounces its social responsibility, there arise great legal
implications and thus resulted into bad depiction of women and the existing
framework fails to satisfactorily address the shortcomings in the prevailing regime.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of this research work is to highlight the media’s role in portraying
the women in the present society. Research paper will first look to the present trend
shadowed by the media with regards to women and the efficacy of the existing legal
system in countering issues disparaging women’s image and then will suggest the
changes which can be brought.

SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS

Media plays significant role in portraying the women’s picture in the society. This research
work is confined to the legal framework, pertaining to check on media’s role, as existing in
India and their efficacy, with some suggestions thereafter. Nevertheless, the position of
women in current system is expressed with different examples.

OBJECTIVES

1. To understand the role of Media in the present society,

2. To discuss the depiction of women by Media and their tendency,

3. To explain the laws, available to make check upon Media’s activities, and their efficacy
in contemporary society, and

4. To know where these laws are lacking and suggest some guidelines that could serve our
purpose.

A Project On media and law

5
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

HYPOTHESIS

It is hypothesized by the researcher that the current status of the media’s view on
women is a mixed hue of blacks and whites and the same is due to lack of proper
implementation of laws.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. How does media treat women and what is the share of coverage on women?

2. What is the influence of media on the minds of general public as well as on

women themselves?

3. What is the legal framework pertaining to check on Media and its activities?

4. What can be done for the purpose of eliminating gender biases and elevating
the status of women on screen?

METHODOLOGY

The method of research adopted for the project is the Doctrinal Method (Non-Empirical).
The research is mainly based on secondary sources i.e. reference books, research papers,
articles etc. Information has also been accessed from the Internet.

MODE OF CITATION

The researchers have followed the Blue Book mode of citation throughout the course of this
project.

A Project On media and law

6
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

INTRODUCTION

“Media” or the fourth organ of a democracy is fundamentally the most utile and indispensible
means of mass interaction. It is the platform where there is a confluence of the ideas of a
society. It mirrors the state of affairs, needs, aspirations, deficiencies and triumphs of the
people in the country. Needless, to say it has become the most powerful instrument in
ushering popular opinions and norm creation.

Conversely, the media has severally been criticized over its negatively skewed and distorted
presentations. There have been large concerns over matters pertaining to lack of accuracy,
and accountability. As the race for TRPs gains impetus, the dire need to grab eye balls at any
rate makes the stake holders of such news vulnerable.

When we discuss the Indian television and soap operas it is important to note that the target
audiences of these shows are mostly women. However, it is a disturbing observation that
even in such shows women are depicted as hapless damsels in distress, subject to the
protection of a male protagonist. The main argument for having more stringent check on
obscenity in case of advertisements and TV shows is that they have a universal viewership,1
as compared to films. In world’s legal scenario, the Beijing World Conference held in 1995
made a great breakthrough in the area of protection of women.

With regard to the vast viewership in case of advertisements, they should be made in such a
way that they do not offend the public taste in general. Whether government should take a
strong step and set up a watchdog for media? This raises more questions than it answers. If so
who will be the members of such a body? Who will elect such members? Will this be an
executive body or a judicial arm? If media disputes are not settled within this body where
shall the parties appeal? We will try to find the answers of such questions through this
research.

1
Uttara Manohar, Media Censorship: Why is Censorship good, February 2, 2012, available at
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/media-censorship-why-is-censorship-good.html

A Project On media and law

7
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN ON TELEVISION AND PRINT MEDIA

In this segment of our paper we will be discussing how the modesty of women and their
image has been demeaned one time too many, on Indian television. By means of various
instant cases we will illustrate how in both advertisements and programmes aired, the vulgar
depiction of women has enraged and shocked public conscience and have eroded all ethical
standards.

A recent UNESCO report in collaboration with the International Women’s Media Foundation
shed light on the issue of stereotyping women in the media as: “the glamorous sex kitten, the
sainted mother, the devious witch, the hard-faced corporate and political climber.” The
report, released in 2009, states that, at the current rate of augmentation in stereotyping
women, it will take many more years to achieve gender equality in the media. 2 The report
titled ‘Global report on the status of women in the news media’ gives a detailed analysis on
the positional hierarchy, news making power, decision making status and highlights the
gender inequality that exists. 3

“I think the part of media that romanticizes criminal behavior, things that a person will say
against women, profanity, being gangster, having multiple children with multiple men and
women and not wanting to is prevalent. When you look at the majority of shows on television
they placate that kind of behavior.”– Bill Cosby

Serials are depicting women and young females involved in conspiracy, premarital, extra-
marital, post marital illicit affairs, wearing costly, heavy golden, and diamond jewellery,
perpetuating their religious fundamentalism, spending time is family feuds, suicidal love
affairs, mega parties, palatial houses, luxury cars, sleek mobiles, elegant, make ups, little care
about anything else than the individual matters, and at all not even a word about the outside
world.

1. http://worldsavvy.org/monitor/index.php?option=com_content&id=602&Itemid=1049

2. http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-
URL_ID=31342&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

3. Depiction of Women in Indian Media- A Case of Introspection for Media Planners, Dr. Sanjeev K.
Sharma, Samaj vigyan shodha patrika vol I, 2005,

A Project On media and law

8
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

“For too long, and despite what people told me, I had fallen for what the culture said about
beauty, youth, features, heights, weights, hair textures, upper arms.”

― Anne Lamott

The appearance of women with surreal body type in hyper glamorized avatars is another
major concern. The creation of such role models which young girls and women idolize is
cause for trouble. Many researches have indicated when they try to achieve this ultra slim
size and emulate their styles it may cause some serious physical and mental health issues.

Also, if an average lady drinks, smokes and wears short clothes then she is deemed as
unchaste and lascivious; garnering prejudiced negative opinions. How far is such biased
misrepresentation of women justified? Realistic presentation of women without sexual
objectification is thus the need of the hour, since what is being shown on screen is a far cry
from what women are like in real life.

Lately, a number of advertisements have been telecasted that have garnered criticism over its
vulgar content. For instance, the 1991 advertisement of Kamasutra Condom which featured
Pooja Bedi and Marc Robinson in a steamy shower scene, or, the 1993 advertisement of MR
coffee which showed Malaika Arora and Arbaaz Khan cozying up with each other, or, the
2001 Bisleri 'play safe' advertisement which used the 'safe sex' innuendo by showing a couple
making out on a beach,9 or, the 2007 advertisement of Set Wet Zatak deodorant which
showed a woman getting seduced by a man wearing the advertised deodorant, or the
infamous Amul Macho's underwear advertisement which depicted a woman having sexual
fantasies while washing her husband's underwear etc. And now, the advertisement of '18
again' and Moods Condom (Congratulations, Team India. You nailed it!) is yet another
addition to this gamut of obscene advertisements.
Advertisements are very easily accessible as they are aired on television. Obscene
advertisements aired on television are viewed even by impressionable children who are
ideally not supposed to have access to it. Such obscene advertisements can unduly influence
children and the illiterate segment of the society and might lead them to engage in a behavior
which is detrimental to them. We cannot allow such material to poison the young minds,
since they will learn that such derogatory content is socially acceptable and emulate the same
values. Changing attitude of the society and moulding their perspective requires that children
should not be exposed to values that in any way present women as inferior.

A Project On media and law

9
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

More disquieting is the growing trend in media to portray women as victims. Some recent
studies of news stories show that sex and sensationalism and scandal are the primary
motivation behind the reportage. A study of four main English dailies in India finds that
women’s issues accounted for little over two percent of the total items in one of the dailies
and even less in the other three. Educational articles that guide women how to progress in
various fields and focus solely on their intellectual development are rare, in magazines and
newspapers. Most monthly magazines that are popular concentrate on the more frivolous
aspects of the lives of women and pamper their vanity. This only limits women, and
indirectly suggests that they are objects belonging merely to the bed-room or kitchen which is
where their lives revolve.

To quote an example amongst many, Sania Mirza did not gain so much fame when she
gained the grand slam title, or won the 2012 French open as opposed to when there was a
‘fatwa’ controversy over the length of her skirt5 or when she started living with Pakistani
cricket player Shoab Malik before they got married.6 Nobody even knew who Mandeep Kaur
and Ashwini akkunji until the doping case brought them under the lime-light.7 The media
gave great coverage to the suicide of air-force officer Anjali Gupta, who was the first woman
to be court-martialled.8

The gory details of her private life and her involvement in the sexual harassment case she was
fighting against her senior officer were exposed nationwide and broadcasted for days at a
stretch. How many times do we see ladies in army, navy, or air force get any recognition for
their out-standing services and contribution to the nation? Such gross lack of recognition to
women in almost every field forces them to believe that the only way to attain it is via
scandals, and also paint a negative image of women in the society.

“It is not impossible to produce news stories that are gender sensitive. It just means thinking
more creatively about the topic at hand—whom it concerns, who should be included in its
coverage, in what way and for what purpose.”

- Margaret Ga 2005,

5
http://mukutsaha.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/from-archive-sania-mirza-skirt-controversy/
6
http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/India/Fatwa-against-Sania-Shoaib-for-living-together-
before-marriage/Article1-529975.aspx
7 http://www.indianexpress.com/news/ashwini---co.-handed-enhanced-ban-in-athletics-doping-scandal/976190/

8 www.ndtv.com/article/cities/court-martialled-female-iaf-officer-commits-suicide-132943

A Project On media and law

10
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN CINEMA

The silver screen has always been more than a medium of entertainment for the Indian
populace. People see their life reflected upon, their fantasies taking shape, their aspirations
coming alive, their hopes being raised, their experiences shared and their dreams growing
wings on the 52” screen. And Indian film makers never disappoint them so. There are a
plethora of movies on every possible subject and every possible sequence, and then there are
regional movies, Bollywood, Tollywood etc. But how far are these movies doing justice to
women who presumably form 50% of viewers. If we see the lineage of Hindi movie, we find
women being depicted in consonance with the culture and values. The leading lady of 60s
and 70s was a house of “Indian values”. She would go to temple, do her prayers, take care of
the elderly (mostly mother-in-law), make meals for her husband and show devoted love for
her kids.

Mother India is a story of a woman who is an idyllic figure for Indian audience. This is a
woman who does all her household work with utmost devotion towards her husband and in
laws and stands by his side come what may. Her husband leaves her with 3 kids and his
mother when the village is struck by a disaster and he cannot help because of his invalidity.
She would sacrifice her whole life feeding her children, would not defy the institution of
marriage even if her husband has absconded and after all kills her own son when he goes
down the wrong path.

Bazar, a movie that shows the plight of Muslim women has no room for a rebellious woman.
They are shown burdened down with heavy shackles of patriarchy and being a submissive
party to the whims of males of their community, an object they can own, buy or sell at their
own ease.

Rudali meaning “mourner” is the story of Shanichari who has been tagged as a taboo because
of being born on a Saturday. Her mother, portrayed as a loose character lady who eloped with
her lover. All the men of featured in this movie are shown to cast a lustful eye for her. Her
own son leaves her for a concubine. She has no hopes, no dreams, no future, no relative
whatsoever, but, she never cries. This role was a remarkable breakthrough in the image of
women created by films.

A Project On media and law

11
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

If we see more popular cinema, in movies like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi
gham, Chalte Chalte, Ham Sath Sath hai, Ham aapke hai kaun, Dilwale Dulhaniya le
jayenge,Vivah, Biwi no. 1 etc. extreme importance is attached with the way the heroine
carries herself. She is meek, modest, adorable, traditional woman with visible “Indianness”.
She would devote her life for the well-being of her husband and family and never revolt
against her elders, come what may. The actress is always a fair (taken to be same as
beautiful), thin and homely.

Some movie makers and heroines have attempted to break this image. A commendable
breakthrough is the films made by director Madhur Bhandarkar. This director makes an
attempt towards showing the glimpse of all walks of real life via the eyes of a lead female
character. His women are strong, resolute, ambitious and confident. In Corporate, Bipasha
has been shown as a strong willed, self-made woman on the top of the corporate ladder, but
she would do anything for the man she loves and finally becomes a scapegoat in the business
war. Fashion reflects the story of the fashion world through the story of Meghna, an
ambitious girl hailing from a small city. She becomes a pawn to various phases of the fashion
world from sexual exploitation to drug addiction.

Another breakthrough is the entry of non-conventional heroines in bollywood. Vidya Balan a

lady considered hefty was conferred the national award for best actress. Priyanka Chopra is
bold enough to portray all negative characters that might make her loatheful (7 Khoon Maaf
and Aitraaz). Deepika Padukon creates an all new image of next door girl, she is ambitious,
strong, smokes and drinks and wears the so called western clothes and still is desired and
sought after by men. Actresses like Konkana Sen Sharma, Chitrangada Singh and Nandita
Das have almost removed the obsession with fair skin suffered by Indian viewers.

The changes are definitely a breakthrough but the women are still shown skimpily clad, in
arms of the men, scheming and promiscuous or helpless and crying. Tollywood or South
Indian cinema shows a far worse picture of women. The actress is simply there to be
abducted by the villain and saved by the hero, she dances around the trees and has no
significant role to play.

Looking into the facts there are hardly any chances that the status of actresses in Cinema
would improve, given their short lived career, lack of acceptability after crossing a particular
age and lack of versatility. Viewers would see a Hero in a 50 year old man but they always
expect him to fall for a girl who is 20.

A Project On media and law

12
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

WOMEN AND MEDIA: THE LEGAL DEBATE

So far we have seen the role that media should play in an ideal democracy. We have gone
through the various types of violence faced by women, the gender stereotyping, the pressure
of patriarchal structures, the distorted image presented by media, sensitization of news items
covering women. According to a survey people spend more time watching television than
they do at their workplaces or schools. Media, therefore, has to be careful about what it
presents. The impact of media as regards to women on society has to be seen by three
different angles:

1. How does media treat women; what is the share of coverage on women

2. Influence of media on the minds of general public

3. Influence of media on women themselves

Making legal provisions for the control of media is a challenge for any democratic country. A
country that highly considers freedom of speech and makes it a part of the very basic
structure of its constitution is faced with a dilemma while trying to control this very right.

Article 19(1) (a) of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech and
expression which also includes freedom of press. The Hon. Supreme Court in cases such as
the Express Newspapers9 and Tata Press Ltd.10 has unambiguously held that "commercial
speech" is a part of the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a)
of the Constitution because advertisements essentially involve the dissemination of
information regarding the product advertised. The said preposition brings the advertisers
within the purview of the various restrictions on speech and expression as enumerated in
Article 19(2) of the Constitution, one of which is ‘decency or public morality’. One would
accordingly expect that the language and the tone of a broadcast are appropriate, proper and
relevant. The path therefore is a six fold path consisting of: (i) right speech; (ii) right action;
(iii) right exertion; (iv)right mindedness; (v) right resolution; and (vi) right point of view

9 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Private Ltd. Vs.Union of India (UoI), AIR1985SC515.

10 Tata Press Ltd. Vs. Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited & Ors., AIR1995SC2438.

A Project On media and law

13
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

The first two pertain to physical control, the next two pertain to mental control and the last
two pertain to intellectual development.11

However India has made good attempts towards reaching a fair way of controlling the
freedom of expression so exercised by various media forms like television, features,
commercials, films, print media, mass media etc. by way of statutory provisions, international
conventions, central statutes and judicial pronouncements. The first provision that deserves a
mention in this regard is Sec 292 of IPC which punishes a person with 2 years of
imprisonment and fine if he/ she is found selling/ presenting/ exporting/ importing/ dealing in
the business of any such paper/ article/ pamphlet etc. which propagates obscenity or
derogatory image of women.

But this provision suffers from two problems, the first being that obscenity being a very
subjective term makes it difficult to fix liability. Obscenity differs from culture to culture,
person to person and time to time12. Om Pal Singh Hoon v. Union of India and Ranjit D.

Udeshi v. State of Maharashtra14 give a definition of obscenity which is so far legally

accepted. In the name of religious text, training and learning publication and monuments this
section gives a considerable relaxation. Pertaining to publications, if a newspaper, a
document or a book is opined to contain matters, publication whereof would be punishable
under Section 124A, 153A, 153B, 293 or 295A of the Indian Penal Code, stating the grounds
for its opinion, by notification, Government can direct such document, newspaper or book to
be seized as per Section 95 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973.
Another provision of law to protect women from violence by media is the Indecent
Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986. This Act prohibits any advertisement,
circular, notice, wrapper, label or other document or representation made by means of light,
sound, smoke or gas. And for the purpose of this Act, Indecent Representation would mean
the depiction in any manner of the figure of a woman; her form or body or any part thereof in
such way as to have the effect of being indecent, or derogatory to, or denigrating women, or
is likely to deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals. This Act is a definite
revolution in the way of protecting women from being abused by the hands of media. It has
widened the scope of media by including audio visual electronic materials and brought things
like gas and smoke under its umbrella.

11 Indraprastha & Anr. V. UoI WP(C)No.1200/2011

12 Chandrakant Kalyandas Kakodar vs The State Of Maharashtra And Ors 1970 AIR 1390

A Project On media and law

14
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), which is a powerful self-regulatory

organization for the advertising industry, in its ‘Code for Self-Regulation in Advertising’
stipulates that advertisements should not be offensive to the generally accepted standards of
public decency and should not contain anything indecent, vulgar or repulsive.

Rule 6(1) (k), of Programme Code of Cable TV Network Rules 1994 states that: No
programme should be carried in the cable service which denigrates women through the
depiction in any manner of the figure of a woman, her form or body or any part thereof in
such a way as to have the effect of being indecent, or derogatory to women, or is likely to
deprave, corrupt or injure the public morality or morals. Rule 7 (2) (vi), No advertisement
shall be permitted which projects a derogatory image of women. Women must not be
portrayed in a manner that emphasizes passive, submissive qualities and encourages them to
play a subordinate, secondary role in the family and society. The cable operator shall ensure
that the portrayal of the female form, in the programmes carried in his cable service is tasteful
and aesthetic, and is within the well-established norms of good taste and decency.

Despite all the care taken by the law to protect women from the cruel tongue of media such
advertisements as representing women in a derogatory or indecent form are quite common.
Deodorants in advertisements are portrayed as a medium of attracting voluptuous women
who apparently drool over the fragrance of a man. “The Tuff Shoes” advertisement that
stirred the nation in 1995 featuring models Milind Soman and Madhu Sapre wearing nothing
but “Tuff Shoes” promoted the shoes by way of obscenity. The punch lines like “Ye toh bada
toying hai” or “Kuch bhi ho sakta hai”, “Very Very Sexy”, “Jockey or nothing”, “Par ye deti
kitna hai ?” etc. suggest high levels of ambiguity and vulgarity. These innuendos are still
broadcasted on TV with no regard to law whatsoever.
The Information Technology Act, 2005 which regulates electronic transaction also makes an
attempt towards making it a secure environment for women. Recently, Section 66A of the
Act repealed and thus, provided a new platform for the expression of views in the electronic
for which can also go against the modesty of women.

15
http://www.ascionline.org/index.php/asci-about

A Project On media and law

15
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

Section 67 of the Act punishes the person (for a term of five years or fine which may extend
to two lakh rupees) who publishes or transmits or causes to be published in the electronic
form, any material which is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest or if its effect is such
as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all relevant
circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it. There are other
provisions like stress laid upon the dignity and equality of women in the constitution. The
Protection of human rights act 1993, The Cinematograph Act 1952, Media Monitoring
Committee (Tamil Nadu), guidelines by Press Council of India and NGOs are making a
tremendous effort for a transparent and just media.

A Project On media and law

16
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

SUGGESTIONS
All hope is not lost until certain codes are followed by media persons for the purpose of
eliminating such gender biases and elevating the status of women on screen. Following are
certain suggestions and guidelines that could serve our purpose:

Refrain from using descriptions of women that include: physical, marital and/or family status,
unless it is essential to the story. Include only what is necessary and adheres to the limit of
not infringing privacy.

1. Be sure to give women their own title, name and voice and not the “wife of Mr.
Smith.”

2. Descriptions such as “male nurse” and “woman doctor” are inherently sexist when
they suggest that it is not normal for a woman to be a doctor or that it is unusual for
men to work in a caring profession and do not in any way trivialize the depiction.

3. In widening the debate as a whole and contributing to raising awareness of gender

equality, it is essential to fight for equal coverage of real issues important to women in
your area.
4. While reporting on crimes related to women a balance needs to be struck on
ascertaining how much graphic detail is to be used. Using labels should be avoided.
Rather than terming them as a “victim” the use or terminology such as “survivor” is
more apposite. An impartial well balanced report should be made that doesn’t tilt
towards a side.

5. Representations in all programmers must be as realistic as possible. Television

programme directors may take some inspiration from theater that only show-cases
what is true to life and is accurate. Close observation of the lives of women is
important for this purpose rather than superfluous depictions.

6. More inspirational stories that feature women as protagonists who have made
significant achievements, be shown. This will boost confidence and create the right
role models.

A Project On media and law

17
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

CONCLUSION

Where the media renounces its social responsibility, there arise great legal implications
pertaining to defamation, privacy, misrepresentation. So far the Indian press regulations and
statutory measures have not been able to contain the fire of media malice and the damage
becomes glaringly evident every day. People do not always see what they need to see, but are
being shown what a certain sect of people want them to see to evade larger issues of national
importance.

The answer lies in following a middle path. A legal officer appointed preferably by Women
and Child department or the State Human Rights Commission at the Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting who should report any misconduct by local media to the department. Media
must be a way of spreading knowledge and information and not be a “feral beast” trespassing
lives of people and filing their mind with brutal thoughts.

Therefore, the current status of the media’s view on women is a mixed hue of blacks and
whites. Here the solution lies more in participatory communication right from the grassroots
rather than communication which flows top down. Various television channels have also
given the space for ordinary citizens to air their views in the form of citizen journalists
thereby promoting democratic participation. Agencies like Press Council of India need to be
vigilant to stem the rot. Big media conglomerates are a serious threat. To counter this
problem pluralistic media organizations which are financially viable need to be encouraged.
Community participation is a goal that the media should strive for in a country like India.

A Project On media and law

18
Portrayal of Women in Contemporary Society and Media’s Role

REFERENCES
Books/Articles

Durga Das Basu, Introduction to the Constitution of India (1991), Prentice Hall of
India Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi.

H.M. Seervai, Constitutional Law of India: A Critical Commentary, Vol. 2 (1984),

N.M. Tripathi Pvt. Ltd., Bombay.

K.D.Gaur, Textbook on the Indian penal code, Published by Universal Law

Publishing Co. Edition 4th (2009)
M.P. Jain (2010), Indian Constitutional Law. LexisNexis Butterworths Wadhwa
Nagpur.

Mamta Rao, Law relating to women and children, Published by Eastern Book
Company, Edition 3rd, (2012)

Ratanlal Ranchoddas and Dhirajlal Keshavlal Thakore, Indian penal code, Published
by LexisNexis, Edition 34th, (2014)

Weblinks

http://www.legalserviceindia.com/, (last seen on 24/03/15)

http://www.manupatra.com/ (last accessed on 29/03/15)

http://www.scconline.com/ (last accessed on 01/0

A Project On media and law

19