Moral policing and media

“What would you choose as a press photographer if you were to decide between clicking a photograph and saving the life of a victim?” I had asked a press photographer in a seminar. The photographer, after a moment of hesitation, said, “I would rather click a photograph.”
Harsh as it may sound, thought the press photographer said the right thing. There is a case of a US photographer who won the 1994 Pulitzer Prize in the best picture category. The photograph shows a malnourished skinny African boy crawling and a vulture behind him at a distance. The vulture is waiting for the boy to die so that it can feast on him. The photograph received rave reviews; however, the photographer was criticised for failing to carry out a humanitarian duty. Subsequently, it is said, the photographer went missing. Some even say that he committed suicide.
The recent pub attack in Mangalore, and the media role in it, brings to shore several such issues. It was alleged that the miscreants who attacked the hapless women in the pub took TV journalists along to cover the ‘moral policing’. Whole thing, it is alleged, was orchestrated with precision with cameramen waiting for the ‘action’ to begin.
Subsequently, though, the police accused the media for not informing them about this planned attack. According to police, the media should have alerted the police so that the whole incident could have been avoided. Yes, media could have informed the police and the police could have averted the incident. But the question is would such an action by the media serve purpose. Next time if the Ram Sene goes out to put ‘order’ in another pub, they may go quietly and inflict a greater blow. With no any media coverage, it is likely that the world will not see their hooliganism.
It is widely argued, at least in media circles, that but for the wide and constant reportage/broadcast by media channels, the Mangalore pub attack would have gone unnoticed. In a way, it is true. It was only after the national news channels beamed the story that the police and the government woke up to take some measures. Even now, the whole incident refuses to die down what with the Ram Sene being vindicated by the apparent lackluster response by the State government to take stringent action.
However, in the whole development there emerged another disturbing trend. It is reported, and quite convincingly, that certain local broadcast channels were party or at least part of the entire assault. In fact, it is alleged that the Sene members made sure that TV cameras were there with them when they went on a rampage. Perhaps, they wanted to show to the whole world their ‘chivalry’ of attacking helpless women and be proud of it. If it is true that TV cameras went along with the hooligans, then it could spell a depressing trend in the Indian media. Yes, journalists have to tell, show to the whole world, the reality as it is (well, as far as possible). For this they may have to be candid. They may, at times, have to cross boundaries even. However, the danger and temptation is to indulge in such endeavours purely for personal gains – to increase circulation, gain a few more TRPs etc. When that happens, medium will fail to be the message.