Global Journalism-M00482583

Critical Analysis of a news story

I will be analysing four media outlets which are, two broadcasts and two online articles. I will
be investigating how these outlets covered the story of Jyoti Singh a 23 year old medical
student, who was gang raped in Indias national city New Delhi, in 2012. I will observe how
these outlets focused on news values and how they reported the story differently.

I will be investigating a documentary created by BBC Four which, is a British television

channel that is functioned by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). According to
Haass (2005:387) theory mainstream media are able to set an agenda for their audience. The
BBC documentary Indias daughter was formulated by professional journalists who are able
to gate keep information and rely on elite institutional voices rather than independent ones.
The second piece I will be analysing is by PBS NewsHour, an American television program.
The online article is accompanied by a video thus, it is considered both broadcast and online
journalism. PBS is run by WETA, the Washington, D.C which, is a public broadcaster. The
third piece I observed was an article by The Times of India (TOI) which, is an Indian
English-language daily newspaper that is, published by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd which is
owned by the Sahu Jain family.

As alternative journalism I decided to select a blog by The Express Tribune, a daily English-
language newspaper in Pakistan which, is the only newspaper in Pakistan that covers global
news. It is in partnership with International New York Times and is owned by Lakson Group.
Alternative journalism, is more concerned about leading political action and social change,
this is evident as the writer of the express tribune blog Merelli emphasizes how, the BBC
documentary should not have been called Indias daughter and how, it should have been
called Indias sons instead, suggesting all men in India share the same ideology of male
dominance. This blog permits audiences to understand a different perspective of the story as
Merelli adopts the readers tone when demonstrating this story. This relates to Coyer,
Downunt and Fountains (2007:144) study as they found that, alternative news sources satisfy
human interest which, have been rejected in mainstream media.

New media enables us to search for news that is happening around the world via online
journalism, blogs or social media. This links with Jenkins (2006:6) study as she claimed that
new media was going to change everything. New media permitted me to be able to access
my four outlets, for analysis. Hence, this links with Curran, Fenton and Freedman (2012:20),
as they indicate how internet improves the quality of journalism therefore, we no longer have

1
Global Journalism-M00482583

to rely on a print newspapers to understand a full story, as we can conduct our own research
and turn to alternative journalism instead on relying on mainstream media. Merillis blog
clearly takes the side of the victim which, gives audiences a chance to understand the story
from different viewpoint. Therefore, as Davis and Owen (1998:185) imply new media gives
users a chance to be more knowledgeable of a situation. Whereas, other outlets that covered
this story such as, BBC Fours documentary gave a slight hint on how Indian culture
promotes negative behaviour, towards women however; they did not clearly suggest this. This
is because, as they are an established outlet, they have professional voices and news agendas
they have to follow unlike alternative journalism.

Trends and challenges continue to be an issue in the Middle East and Africa, as McFarlin and
Sweeney (2011:4) highlight how these countries continue to face corruption, political
conflict, war and poverty. This is similar to some of the issues that India face. In terms of
their laws and regulations, after Jyotis gang rape the country developed new legislations
which meant, you received a minimum of 20 years in prison if you committed rape. As the
country is not so technologically developed, this means that not everyone within the country
is able to use the internet and contribute to citizen journalism or share their opinions on a
situation, in particular those who live in less fortunate places like villages or slums. Thus, this
does not provide much space for alternative journalism within their country. Thence, their
citizens have to rely on mainstream news.

News values are factors that make a story newsworthy, Shoemaker and Reese (2006:39)
identified conflict as an aspect that makes a story meaningful. The documentary broadens
Indian traditional views from western cultures as it emphasizes how women being out in the
night in India is seen as disgraceful, as the defence lawyer stated in the documentary. This
would cause conflict between western cultures and Indian customs. The Times of India
inform readers on how a new claim could re-open the case, this could make supporters of
Jyoti angry when they acknowledge that the verdict could be delayed.

PBS report how India have banned the film and how an Indian womens group stated that the
filmmaker Udwin as a foreigner is trying to tell a story, that they are already aware of.
This is conflict that audiences want to hear and read, as they want to know Udwins
response. The express blog highlights, how Indian culture is to blame for the way females
are treated within the country. Even though, these outlets focus on different aspects, the way

2
Global Journalism-M00482583

they present attitudes towards women in India, promote conflict between other countries and
India.

Clausen (2003:14) defined domestication as adopting global information into a local

framework. Thus, the way a country reports a global issue, reflects the way they look at
local and national cultures and where they position themselves within the world. Overall
BBC Four, PBS and The Express Tribune blog emphasize how the high rate of crimes
against women in India, is due to the countries strict cultural sexist restrictions towards
females. Hence, they make their country look like a a safer place for females to live in and
widen cultural differences between western culture and Indian culture, as their audiences
would percieve India, as a country with no equal rights for women.

Daniels, Brashaw, Shaw and Sidaway (2005:268) found that Westernization creates global
cultural convergence this is correct as, westernization has shown a huge effect on clothing in
India, as foreign brands like Adidas and Reebok are now trending. American junk food has
also dominated their traditional food like rice and chapattis although, this has mainly affected
the younger generation. However, in terms of their beliefs I do not feel they will be fully
westernized, as Ferraro describes sex ratios in India strongly favour males (2008:273).

Pallmeyer (1997:61) underlines how human interest is a key opponent in any list of news
values, both of the broadcasts cover human interest, as the documentary reconstructs the
incident and includes footage of protests, interviews and statistics which, enable audiences to
understand the numbers of rapes that take place in India and how growing up as a female in
India is a disadvantage. PBSs and the Express Tribunes blog, both concentrate on the status
of women and male empowerment in India which, would interest a global audience as,
gender differences is not just a local issue in India, as The Thompson Reuters Foundation
found in 2011 that the worst countries for a female to live in are, Afghanistan, Democratic
Republic of Congo and Pakistan, as women in these countries are in danger of sexual
violence and human trafficking.

All of the outlets linked with Daddone and Slatterys (2006:20) importance news value, as
they enlightened audiences on the relevance of how crimes against females must stop.
Furthermore, Branston and Stafford (2003:137) believe stories need a frequency element by
covering issues that occur regularly, as all of the outlets cover the subject of rape they
manage to follow this news criteria.

3
Global Journalism-M00482583

The Delhi high court banned the documentary in India to stop their citizens from rebelling
just like the way they protested for womens rights after Jyotis attack. Furthermore, they are
aware that it may affect the countries reputation and tourism. They also did not want the
women of India to acknowledge how cultural roots of gender inequality in India are still
strong and affect a range of outcomes amongst women (2011:127).

The House of Lords communications committee in its report during 2007-2008 classified in
page 8, the importance of impartiality indicating, that audiences rely on balanced reliable
news. The director of the documentary Udwin attempts to be objective however, she does
indicate how crimes against women in India happen because of the countries sexist
mentalities, she supports her argument by including interviews of defense lawyers, making
patriarchal statements. Alternatively, PBSs content is biased as their video of a news report
interview, between Udwin and PBSs presenter highlights how celebrations are made when a
boy is born and whenever a girl is born in India there is a disappointment.

The express tribune is completely partial as the content takes a direct strike at Indian culture
and openly shapes readers ideologies with bold statements like India is ML Sharma the
defence lawyer who says we have the best culture. In our culture there is no space for
women. However, the Times of India take a more informative approach, as their content is
more fairly balanced when reporting on how the case may re-open. However, it could be
argued that as it is an Indian outlet they do not want to make their culture and country look
bad in comparison, to the other three outlets that are, English and American outlets thus, they
are more concerned about making their culture look good in contrast to Asian Indian culture.

French, Rayner, Rees and Rumbles (2011:25) demonstrate how, globalization brings a
greater sense of interconnectedness between people from diverse cultures. Thus, it permits
countries to come together, which has resulted in several positives such as, trade and cultural
exchange. Globalisation has led to improvements in transportation as people can now travel
more quickly which, enables them to understand different cultures and lifestyles in-depth.

The rise of electronic media can impact an individuals thoughts, as it enables them to connect
across national and local borders. Eletronic media has taken over print media, as McLuhan
(1962:43) specified, young people are growing up in a electrically-configured world.
Globalisation enabled audiences to understand how different outlets reported the case of
Jyoti. The development of technology has had an influence on globalisation, as the internet
has no national boundaries therefore, I was able to access online and alternative journalism.

4
Global Journalism-M00482583

This relates to Mackerras (2003:12) theory as he found that globalisation allows news to
travel faster and gets people hooked up to the internet which, means they no longer have
to rely on mainstream media to shape their opinions.

Rape relates to globalisation because it is a common crime that happens worldwide. There is
no doubt that multiple women across the world are victims of rape, as according to the United
Nations Secretary-Generals, Up to 7 in 10 women around the world experience physical
and/or sexual violence at some point in their lifetime. For that reason, rape is an issue that
all audiences would be interested in reading about as it helps them understand how they can
help make it stop, it increases awareness of the crime and also illustrates the consequences of
committing such a crime.

After analysing these four outlets, I found that they all covered the story of Jyoti on a local
and global dimension as they draw upon the sensitive topic of rape. The way they the
outlets present the story can definitely sketch a viewers perspective for example, the
documentary permits a UK citizen who watches the film to believe that India is a sexist
country because of the way they delivered the story. Hence, global news can influence a
persons opinion, on a subject matter on an international scale.

5
Global Journalism-M00482583

Bibliography

Ayres, K. (2011). The Public's Role in Framing the Agenda in the Digital Age. 1st ed. United
States: Proquest Umi Dissertation Publishing.p.23.

BBC Four, UK. (2016). BBC Full Documentary Indias Daughter On Nirbhaya Delhi Gang
Rape/ Jyoti Singh: BBC 4, UK: Free download & Streaming: Internet Achieve. [online]
Available at:
https://archive.org/details/BBCDocumentaryIndiasDaughterOnNirbhayaDelhiGangRapJyotiS
ingh [Accessed 26. Apr. 2016].

Branston, G. and Stafford, R. The Media Students Book. 3rd ed. London: Routledge. p. 137.

Casserly, M. (2016). Forbes Welcome. [online] Forbes.com. Avaliable at:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2011/06/15/most-dangerous-countries-to-be-a-
woman/#64960c101af1 [Accessed 26. Apr. 2016].

Clausen, L. (2003). Global News Production. 1st ed. Denmark: Copenhagen Business School
Press. p. 14.

Coyer, K., Downunt, T. and Fountain, A. (2007). The Alternative Media Handbook. 1st ed.
New York: Routledge. p. 144.

Curran, J., Fenton, N., and Freedman, D. 2012. Misunderstanding the internet. 1st ed.
Canada: Routledge.p.20.

Daddone, P. and Slattery, W. (2006). The manual for scholastic newspaper publishing
teachers guide. 1st ed. United States: The writing company. p. 20.

Daniels, P., Bradshaw, M., Shaw, D. and Sidaway, J. (2005). An Introduction to Human
Geography: Issues for the 21st century. 2nd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited. p. 268.

Davis, Richard. and Owen, D.M. (1998). New Media and American Politics. 1st ed. New
York: Oxford University Press. p. 185

Epatko, L. (2016). Banned documentary brutal Delhi gang rape. [online] PBS NewsHour.
Available at: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/documentary-india-gang-rape/
[Accessed 26 Apr. 2016].

Ferraro, G. (2008). Cultural Anthropology: An applied perspective. 7th ed. United States:
Thomas Wadsworth. p. 273.
6
Global Journalism-M00482583

French, R., Reyner, C., Rees, G. and Rumbles, S. (2011). Organizational behaviour. 1st ed.
UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. p. 25.

Genosko, G. (2005). Marshall McLuhan: Renaissance for a wired world, vol 3. 1st ed. New
York: Routledge. p. 128.

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. 1st ed. United
States: New York University Press.p.6.

Kiernan, V. (2006). Embargoed science. 1st ed. United States: University of Illinois Press. p.
39.

Mackerrras, C. (2003). Chinas ethnic minorities and Globalisation. 1st ed. London:
Routledge Curzon. p. 12.

Merelli, A. (2016). No, Jyoti Singh is not Indias daughter- The Express Tribune Blog.
[online] Blogs.tribune.com.pk. Available at: http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/26527/no-jyoti-
singh-is-not-indias-daughter/ [Accessed 26. Apr. 2016].

Mitta, M. (2016). Nirbhaya rape and murder: Startling new claim- Times of India. [online]
The Times of India. Available at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Nirbhaya-rape-
and-murder-Startling-new-claim/articleshow/47015927.cms [Accessed 26. Apr. 2016].

McFarlin, D. B. and Sweeney, P. D. (2011). International management strategic

opportunities and cultural challenges. 4th ed. Abingdon: Routledge. p. 41.

Pallmeyer, D.D. (1997). The audience in the news. 1st ed. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, Inc Publishers. p. 61.

The Ownership of the News: 1st Report of Session 2007-2008, Vol. 2. (2016). London: The
Stationery Office Limited, p. 189.

The World Bank. (2011). Poverty and social exclusion in India. 1st ed. Washington DC: World
bank publications. p. 127.

Un.org. (2016). UNiTE To End Violence Against Women. [online] Available at:
http://www.un.org/en/women/endviolence/situation.shtml [Accessed 27. Apr. 2016].

7
Global Journalism-M00482583

When will rape crimes against women stop?

Crimes against women continue to be a big issue across the globe, whether they are physical,
sexual or violent they can affect a person physiologically, sexually or physically. Lisa Begum
analyses World Health Organisation statistics and figures by United Nations and
interviews a lawyer and a police officer to understand their viewpoints on the issue.

Violence that a woman experiences can have an impact on her health and well-being on a
short-term and long-term basis. Along with the immediate development of physical and
emotional disturbance, being a victim of such crimes could have a negative aftermath on a
womens contribution and engagement in, numerous aspects that could improve their
lifecycle.

World Health Organisation carried out a report in 2013 by gathering data from different
studies they found that, approximately 1 in 3 women worldwide face sexual or physical
violence in their entire lifetime. This means 35% of women are in danger of violence and
they may not even know it.

Burcin Cirakoglu a lawyer who specifies in criminology states how, Rape crimes continue
to increase worldwide whether they are taking place in South Africa or India. Even though it
is not justifiable, some clients may cause such actions because of factors that have affected
their lifes such as, growing up in an environment where gender inequality is present, being
exposed to violence as a child, as this may make them believe that violence is acceptable or
attaining low educational achievements.

Many citizens across the world believe that undeveloped countries such as India, have high
levels of rape crimes for example, one story based on a 23 year old student called Jyoti Singh
who was brutally gang raped in Indias capital city New Delhi, for being out at night with
a boy was a story that touched the hearts of many people on an international scale. This
story made thousands of people including female residents in India, feel as though the
country is not a safe place for women, to be out at night. However, many would be surprised
to acknowledge that some of the most developed countries like the United Kingdom and
Sweden also experience a high rate of rape crimes. In January 2013, Office for National
Statistics (ONS) and Home Office released their first ever joint report on sexual violence
which, indicated that approximately 85,000 women are raped and 400,000 are sexually

8
Global Journalism-M00482583

assaulted in England and Wales, on an average each year. This breaks assumptions made by
several that crimes like rape mainly exist in undeveloped countries.

According to United Nations less than 40 percent of women who experience violence look
for help. They observed that less than 20% of these women go to the police and seek
assistance by going to their family or friends rather than formal institutions. They were only
able to develop these findings by, measuring statistics from countries where data is made
available. Therefore, women not appealing to the police could be a reason why violence
against women has become a widely spread issue around the world, as the police are not able
to do anything about it.

PC Rana a police officer from North West London underlines how, One reason why rape
crimes continue to happen is because victims of these crimes often do not report the crime.
Our job as police officers is to provide public safety for our community and the only way we
can do this, is if all crimes are reported so that we can prevent them from happening again.

Even though, some people suffer an unfortunate upbringing which results in them
committing such crimes, this is not an excuse to ruin the life of another human being.
Women who experience rape or any sexually related offence need to come out and report
these crimes as if they do not, this could possibly increase the chances of more rapes
taking place. PC Rana emphasizes the importance of reporting incidents like rape as if, a
crime goes unreported you are allowing a rapist to walk free who could be a potential risk
for anyone, as rape can happen to anyone anywhere regardless, of how old they are or
what country they are in.