Bangalore, Jul 28: Media Watch Department of Students' Islamic Organisation (SIO) along with the help of journalists, activists and researchers has published a book 'Media and Terror-Facts and Fiction' with the aim of highlighting the language, which is used by media houses ubiquitously when it comes to reporting terror cases.
The book is the product of documenting, compiling and analysing newspaper articles published in 12 leading English and Kannada dailies – related to the infamous 'Karnataka Terror Module.
The book intends to refer to the general semantic problem of terror reporting by Indian media, stated a release from the organization.
“Every media organization should have a simple, clear policy on using anonymous sources. Reporters should be required to ask an editor, executive producer or some other manager before using any information from anonymous sources,” the book suggests.
The influence of communal elements – who bank on the common stereotypes plaguing the Muslim community (especially in terror cases) – over the press was also manifested through the manner in which these media houses arrived at 'conclusive' speculations over the involvement of particular groups, long before official reports/statements were issued by the Investigating Officer or the Forensic Team that was looking into the evidence.
Dividing the published newspaper articles into three different sections – 'Before the Police Commissioner's meet with journalists', 'After the Police Commissioner's meet with journalists' and 'After the filing of charge sheet', the book highlights media behavior in unregulated, regulated and after release scenarios respectively.
Dr. Banjagere Jayaprakash, Writer, Bangalore, Prof. V.S. Sridhar, National Law College, Bangalore, Lawyers B.T. Venkatesh & Akmal Razvi, Bangalore, A.K. Kukkila, Editor, Sanmarga Weekly, Mangalore, Muthi-ur-Rahman Siddiqui, Journalist, Bangalore were present at the book release programme.
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