Representational imageWhen Princess Diana died in a car crash, T.J.S. George wrote an article in the Indian Express. Essentially, he argued that Diana was a victim of media voyeurism and that led to her death.
When an individual’s private life is put in the spotlight, it could mean the end of many things. The intrusion can be a mental endgame for the victim, when it does not kill her.
Have you ever thought of the near deaths precipitated by the rat race in media?
What triggered these thoughts was a visual aired continuously by Malayalam television channels in recent days.
Dear friends, you have been telecasting the visual of actor Dileep’s daughter returning from the jail after visiting her father, who has been remanded in custody for allegedly plotting the February 17 attack on an actress. Have you ever considered her privacy? Is it ethical to put the public glare on her? She is not old enough to face the world alone.
We have no dearth of brave women journalists. I wonder why they are comfortable with the continuous telecast of the girl’s visuals. We must stand by the victim in this case but we should also be capable of knowing how such visual molestation can hurt a little girl.
We do not have to cite the Supreme Court ruling about the right to privacy but we can at least ask ourselves the question every Malayali has been asking: What was that girl’s fault?
I did my share of journalism for about 20 years. If you think my note was nonsense, please forgive me.
(The author is a noted Malayalam scriptwriter)
