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Covering crime in the mayhem of breaking news
Published on Sun, Jun 08, 2008 at 02:42, Updated on Sun, Jun 08, 2008 at 13:02 in India section
Tags: 30 Minutes, Prime Time , New Delhi
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New Delhi: Campaigns for justice, discussions and debates, and a platform for the defense and the prosecution. Newspapers and channels are often accused of carrying out a virtual trial by media. And it's a charge they haven't always denied.
When a trial court acquitted the nine accused in the Jessica Lall murder case, the media reacted like it rarely had before. Cover-page headlines everyday, SMS petitions, and a sustained campaign on the news channels followed.
When the Delhi High Court admitted an appeal against the acquittals a month later, many saw it as a victory not just for justice, but for the media as well.
Jessica Lall’s sister Sabrina Lal says, “I got the support from media and everyone Jessica's case benefited from it where the witnesses went wrong where the lapses in investigations. It was all over the news it created awareness.”
Justice for Jessica triggered other media crusades. First the Priyadarshini Mattoo verdict, then the Nitish Katara ruling were linked to the media focus on the cases.
Senior Advocate Kamini Jaiswal says, “In Jessica Lall's case and Priyadarshini Mattoo case the role of the media was to the extent that the appeals in the high court was heard expeditiously and justice was done...otherwise the appeals could have been in the cold storage for years like other appeals. I think to that extent media has a positive role to play.”
But critics say the constant media glare in high-profile criminal cases, mostly directed at those accused of the crime, create a perception of guilt, ruling out any chance of a fair trial.
Lawyer KTS Tulsi says, “Not a single crime takes place in India where media doesn't cross the line. It interferes in administration of justice, comments are made on innocence or guilt opinions are being expressed on the credibility of witnesses, which is exactly the role of the court. Our judges are trained to separate the media from the evidence on record but there is always the danger that when the media builds relentless pressure that in borderline cases the judgement may get deflected lawyers play to the gallery.”
NDTV India Executive Editor Pankaj Pachauri says, “There has to be media trial now because if media doesn't look inwards and stop crossing Laxman Rekha, there will a public trial of media.”
When Moninder Pandher, prime suspect in the Nithari serial killings, was assaulted by lawyers in a Ghaziabad court, his son Karan blamed the media.
Moninder Pandher's son Karan Pandher says, “Media was investigating the case rather than reporting it looking at our case. Media did conduct a trial. They had a bunch of people sitting in the studio giving judgement. The CBI gave clean chit to my father none of the media houses like Zee TV or anyone has the entire detail chargesheet with them everyone has a summary on the basis of that they keep saying how did the CBI give clean chit to Moninder Singh Pandher.”
But in Nithari, the families whose children were raped and murdered at the Pandher home say that the media didn't do enough.
No candles were lit for the children who died in Nithari, no media campaigns for justice mounted. Once Pandher and Surender Koli were in custody media interest in Nithari seemed to switch off.
Relentless media pressure takes its toll on the police as well. In the Arushi case, the IG, Meerut Zone, DIG, Meerut Range, and SSP, Noida have all been transferred out. Senior police officers say it's the investigation that suffers.
Former DGP of Uttar Pradesh Prakash Singh says, “We have to deliver soon. You are bound to make mistakes.”
But reporters say it's their job to investigate crime cases. The H S Sabharwal murder investigation was shifted out of Ujjain after a media investigation revealed how witnesses had been threatened.
Two senior advocates were show caused by the Supreme Court after they were caught on camera trying to influence a key witness in the BMW hit and run case.
Covering crime responsibly in the mayhem of breaking news is tough but it must be done.
Where does one draw the line? Between sensation and fact between chasing that exclusive and just being another mob?
The Media has had some fine successes but there are times when the lines have blurred. The challenge is to look inward and then get back on that tightrope.
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media certainly has a very important role to play in the democratic state likeindia, however,media today, mostly electronic media,which have
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